It's Never Too Late
by nieshka
Summary: Ryosuke x OC. Miharu Watanabe lived next door to the Takahashi brothers until Ryosuke broke her heart and she moved away. Now she's back after six years and is determined to win his love once and for all.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

_Fourteen years ago_

Hideki Watanabe flopped onto the couch and sighed. His seven year old daughter, Miharu, giggled at her father and imitated his actions. Hideki smiled and ruffled the little girl's hair. "Aren't you full of energy," he said lovingly.

"That's because she slept the whole flight here," a female voice from the kitchen called out.

Miharu bobbed her head up and down, "Mommy said I have to sleep so I won't feel my ears popping."

Hideki chuckled, "So that's how you did it, Junko."

Junko entered the living room with a tray filled with refreshments. "Anyway, we must thank the Takahashis for taking care of everything for us here in Japan. The house looks exactly the same as when we had left. I can't believe it's already been six years since we moved to the United States. Not to mention that the fridge is completely stocked."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Junko set the tray down and hurriedly rushed to the door. When she opened it, she exclaimed, "Oh, Daisuke, Akiko! Come on in! Hideki, the Takahashis are here!"

The Takahashi couple entered the house. "I saw the taxi pull up in front of your house and I just had to see you right away. It's so great to have you back!" gushed Akiko.

Daisuke walked over to where Hideki was. Hideki stood up and gave Daisuke a big bear hug. "Been a while, Daisuke. How are your boys?"

"They're growing up just fine, Hideki. You must come over for dinner tonight so you can see them. Bring Miharu along, she and my sons will get along just fine," said Daisuke.

"Oh that's a wonderful idea, honey! Keisuke will be thrilled to have a playmate the same age as he is. I remember Junko and I being as big as elephants back then." said Akiko

"And drove Hideki and me nuts. I was so glad when you gave birth first," grinned Daisuke.

Hideki groaned, "Oh, don't remind me. Junko kept me running around for two more months before she gave birth to Miharu."

"Try having to go through two pregnancies," countered Daisuke.

Junko laughed, "Have you forgotten that we're just here and can hear everything?"

Akiko approached Miharu and said, "Hi, Miharu-chan. How are you?"

"I'm OK. I'm seven!" said Miharu proudly.

"My son is the same age as you are. Would you like to come over and play with him?" inquired Akiko.

Miharu looked at her father, asking for approval. When her father nodded, she said happily, "OK! Can we go now?"

Junko laughed, "Not now, honey, you'll have to wait until tonight."

"Well, we just dropped by to check if everything's OK with the house and all. We'll give you guys a chance to rest up and we'll see you tonight for dinner. Is seven o'clock fine?" Akiko asked.

"That sounds great, Akiko. We'll see you later," confirmed Hideki.

* * *

"Aww mom, why do I have to wear this itchy shirt?" complained seven year old Keisuke. 

"Because we're having some guests for dinner and I want you to look your best," explained Akiko patiently.

"We're going to be entertaining dad's best friend from college, his wife and daughter. We have to be on our best behavior," nine year old Ryosuke said.

Akiko smiled at her eldest son, "Yes dear, that's right. Now I want you to watch over your brother and Miharu-chan when she gets here, all right?"

"OK, mom," nodded Ryosuke.

"It's not like I'm a baby that needs to be watched, mom," grumbled Keisuke.

Just then the doorbell rang. "That must be them. Let's go, kids."

Akiko ushered her children to the living room and stood there as her husband opened the door.

"Is that Miharu?" whispered Keisuke to his older brother as a girl wearing a pink frilly dress entered the room with her parents.

"My guess is yes," replied Ryosuke sarcastically.

"She's pretty," Keisuke whispered back, ignoring his brother's sarcasm.

Junko led her daughter to where the boys were standing and said, "Miharu, these boys are the Takahashis' sons Keisuke and Ryosuke."

Miharu performed a little curtsy and said, "Hi, I'm Miharu."

Keisuke eagerly approached Miharu and said, "I'm Keisuke. Do you want to go upstairs and play?"

Miharu happily nodded. Keisuke grabbed her hand and pulled her upstairs to his room.

"Hey, wait for me, Keisuke! I'm supposed to be watching you guys!" Ryosuke shouted impatiently, hurrying to catch up.

Their parents simply laughed and started talking, leaving the children to themselves.

* * *

Ryosuke sat on Keisuke's bed, reading a book while Miharu and Keisuke played with toy cars on the floor. Miharu stole a glance at Ryosuke and Keisuke whispered to her, "You know, you've been looking and looking at Aniki since we got here." 

Miharu blushed prettily and said, "I can't help it. Your brother looks like a prince from a fairy tale."

Keisuke burst out laughing, catching Ryosuke's attention. "Keep it down, I'm trying to read!" said Ryosuke in an annoyed voice.

"Sorry," chuckled Keisuke.

Once Ryosuke had turned back to his book, Keisuke whispered to Miharu, "He doesn't act like a prince, though. He's so boring and grouchy."

Miharu giggled, "I don't think he's that bad."

"But he is!" insisted Keisuke.

Miharu again gazed at Ryosuke who was still absorbed in his book. Keisuke sighed dramatically and said, "Look, it's obvious you have a crush on Aniki. It can't be helped then."

Miharu turned back to Keisuke and asked, "What can't be helped?"

"I'll have to be your best friend, of course," said Keisuke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Miharu looked confused at this, "And why's that?"

Keisuke grinned mischievously, "Well, you'll need someone to protect you from all the other girls who like Aniki. Besides, I'm going to make sure you don't make goo goo eyes at him and act all stupid like all the other silly girls."

"Why would you do that?" Miharu said, still not sure what's going on.

"I like you. You're the only girl I've met who's not scared of bugs and plays with toy cars," said Keisuke smartly.

"I'm scared of spiders though, does that count?" asked Miharu innocently.

Keisuke thought about this and said, "Well, nobody's perfect."

Miharu and Keisuke laughed together, signaling the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

"Kids," Ryosuke muttered distractedly.

* * *

A/N: I don't know if there was any mention of the parents of Keisuke and Ryosuke so I just took the liberty of naming them myself. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

_Five years later_

"Miha-chan!" twelve year old Keisuke called out.

Several girls turned at the sound of Keisuke's voice. They all sighed dreamily as he passed them by. He paid them no heed whatsoever and continued trying to get Miharu's attention.

"MIHA-CHAN!" he shouted this time.

Miharu stopped and turned, her deep purple eyes falling on Keisuke's running form. This time, several boys stopped and stared, murmuring among themselves.

When Keisuke finally caught up, Miharu smiled widely, causing the boys watching her to sigh loudly.

"Jeez, are you deaf or something? I called your name twice," grumbled Keisuke.

Miharu's melodious laugh echoed through the halls of Gunma Junior High School. "Sorry Kei-chan. I was concentrating on finding the library."

Keisuke rolled his eyes at this. "What the heck do you need to go to the library for? You're already top in our class. It's not as if you need any more studying. You're almost as boring as Aniki. Besides, it's the weekend."

Miharu punched Keisuke lightly on the shoulder. "You know that's not true."

"What? About you being the top in our class or about you being boring?" grinned Keisuke mischievously.

"You're hopeless. So what's up anyway?" asked Miharu.

"I wanted to talk to you about something. How about we head over to the coffee shop?" suggested Keisuke.

Miharu cast a worried look towards Keisuke. "What's wrong?"

"It's not a matter of life and death if that's what you're worried about. I just need your help to solve a minor inconvenience" said Keisuke while making a face.

Miharu raised her eyebrow and said, "OK. Just let me get the rest of my stuff."

* * *

Miharu and Keisuke sat in a table for two at a small café near their school.

"So, tell me what this is about. And why couldn't it wait until we got home?" asked Miharu.

"I don't want our parents hearing about this. And for your sake, I don't want Ryosuke to hear about it either," said Keisuke flatly.

This got Miharu curious. She leaned forward in said, "So? Tell me already."

"Let me just ask you something first. How many confessions of love have you received since we started junior high?"

Miharu thought about this and replied, "I'm not certain of the exact figure but I get at least two confessions a week. But what does this have to do with anything?"

"I get about the same amount as you do and it's getting really tiresome. So I have an idea but I'm going to need your help," said Keisuke.

"I'm listening."

"Here's what I thought. Why don't we just pretend that we're going out?"

"Are you _insane_? Who would believe something like that?" said Miharu incredulously.

"Just hear me out. Everyone knows we've been classmates and best friends practically our whole lives, right? Plus, we're next door neighbors," asked Keisuke.

Miharu nodded in agreement. "Can't dispute that."

"OK. So nobody would find it weird that we just suddenly realized that our feelings for each other have grown deeper and have decided to take our relationship one step further," concluded Keisuke.

"Suppose I go along with this harebrained scheme of yours, what would this solve?" argued Miharu.

Keisuke raised his hands in exasperation. "Aren't you supposed to be the smart one here? If we pretend that we're going out, those girls will stop bugging me with their confessions. The same will happen to you, thus getting rid of the minor inconvenience."

Miharu looked at Keisuke in amazement. "That you would come up with something this preposterous is beyond me. What's even more preposterous is that I'm even sitting here listening to it."

"Oh, come on, you have to admit I'm right. It would solve our problem with unwanted confessions."

"Yes it would but what happens if Ryosuke hears about this? And I'm sure he will," Miharu said softly.

Keisuke pondered this and after a while he said, "You know, it would make him jealous."

Miharu looked sharply at Keisuke. "What did you say?"

"I said it would make him jealous. Isn't it a good way to find out if he likes you or not?" said Keisuke casually.

"We couldn't fool someone like Ryosuke that easily, Kei-chan."

"Oh, Aniki's pretty dense when it comes to matters of the heart."

Miharu burst out laughing at this. "That's just mean."

"Well, it's true," Keisuke said defensively.

Miharu ruefully shook her head. "I can't believe I'm saying this but all right, let's do it."

Keisuke let out a loud whoop of delight, causing the other patrons of the café to look at them. Miharu blushed slightly and hurriedly said, "Keep it down, Kei-chan!"

"I knew playing up the Aniki angle would get you to go along with it," Keisuke said triumphantly.

"Hey, I'm not doing this to see if Ryosuke would get jealous or not. In fact, we're not going to tell him anything, got it?"

"It's not like he doesn't go to the same school. He's our senpai, for crying out loud. It's impossible for him not to find out."

Miharu shook her head empathically. "I still don't want him to hear it from us."

Keisuke shrugged and said, "Whatever works for you, although I don't see the point of it."

"What if he tells our parents, though?" wondered Miharu.

"We'll worry about that when we get there. Besides, I think our parents would be happy if they heard about it," said Keisuke breezily.

Miharu sighed, "Tell me again why I agreed to this."

"On another note, though. Why don't you just tell Aniki how you feel? I mean, you've been crushing on him since we were seven. Just go on up to him and blurt it out," said Keisuke.

Miharu turned beet red and replied, "I couldn't! I mean, you know how he is. If I do that he'd just classify me as one of his fan girls and I just couldn't bear it if he rejected me."

"Ah, but what if he doesn't?" winked Keisuke.

"Seriously, Kei-chan. You live with the guy and since I'm almost always there with you anyway I practically live with him too. When has he ever shown any sign that he thinks of me any differently? He hardly ever talks to me, much more look at me," said Miharu sadly.

"What makes you say that? He does to pay attention to you. I've caught him staring at you when he's sure you're not looking at him. And he talks to you more than he talks to any other girl," countered Keisuke.

"Not as much as Tsugumi."

Keisuke scoffed. "That doesn't count. Tsugumi's our cousin."

"You really think I have a chance with him?"

"Much more than the other girls do, yes."

"I don't know. Maybe someday I'll tell him. But right now, I just don't think so."

"That's up to you. I say the sooner you do it the better. No telling when someone else might snatch him up. You never know," warned Keisuke.

* * *

Fourteen year old Ryosuke sat at a table in the corner of the library, reading a thick textbook. He was so engrossed in his reading that he jumped slightly when he heard a couple of girls start whispering loudly behind him. He let out a slightly annoyed sigh and started to read again when he heard what they were talking about and he froze.

"Have you heard the news about Keisuke and Miharu?" one girl asked.

"Yes. Oh, I'm just _so_ jealous of Miharu!" replied the other.

"Well, they've been best friends for, like, ever. It's only natural that they fall in love with each other. Ugh, I _so_ want to get mad at Miharu for snatching up Keisuke but I just can't. They look utterly _perfect_ together!"

"I know what you mean. Those two sure are breaking a lot of hearts."

"Including mine. Keisuke!" she whined.

"It's so sudden though, don't you think? I wonder what happened that made them realize they were in love with each other."

"I heard that the other day, Rika-chan overheard Keisuke asking Miharu to the café near our school. Then, Rika-chan heard from Hana-chan who was there in the café the same time as Keisuke and Miharu were that they were talking really seriously about something when Keisuke suddenly just started shouting in delight. My guess is Keisuke confessed to Miharu then and she accepted."

"That is just _so_ romantic!"

Both girls sighed dreamily, each in their own little world when Ryosuke approached them.

"Excuse me, girls I couldn't help but overhear you talking. I just wanted to make sure that my brother Keisuke and his best friend Miharu are the ones you're discussing," said Ryosuke in a deep voice.

"Yes. Yes they are," stuttered one girl. The other just looked at Ryosuke with hearts in her eyes.

Ryosuke mumbled his thanks and quickly walked out of the library. The two girls squealed, "Oh my god, Ryosuke Takahashi just spoke to me!"

Ryosuke didn't stop walking until he reached the front door of the school. He took a deep, calming breath and slowed his pace.

_Keisuke and Miharu, a couple? That's impossible. They would have told me. And I would have noticed if anything between them changed. Wouldn't I?_ he thought.

Ryosuke sat under a tree and set his textbook down beside him. He heaved a sigh. _What am I so concerned with anyway? It was bound to happen. They've been best friends since they first met. _

An image of Miharu's laughing face entered his mind. He closed his eyes, savoring the picture for as long as he could, then he shook his head to clear it.

_She's your brother's girlfriend now. And when did you start thinking about Miharu like that anyway? When did Miharu stop being your brother's best friend and your next door neighbor and become absolutely gorgeous?_

Ryosuke let out a sigh and whispered, "Ah, hell. Who am I kidding? I've liked her since the first time I saw her. I was just too proud to admit it. Did she have to be so damn beautiful?"

Ryosuke groaned. "Great. Now she's got me talking to myself. Anyway, there's nothing I can do now. Besides, I wouldn't do anything even if I could. I have so many things to do and so little time to reach my goals. I don't have time for a relationship."

As if to spite what he just said, Keisuke and Miharu came into view, walking hand in hand and talking animatedly. Ryosuke's heart wrenched painfully as he looked at Miharu. _Just keep repeating what you just said to yourself over and over and you'll be fine_, he thought as he called them over.

"Keisuke! Miharu! Over here!"

Miharu's heart skipped a beat when she heard Ryosuke's voice. Her grip on Keisuke's hand tightened. Keisuke squeezed her hand in reassurance and whispered, "Just calm down."

"Easy for you to say," grumbled Miharu. "Tell me again why we just can't tell him that we're just pretending to be going out."

"Because," said Keisuke, "we want to find out how he'll react. If you want to back out we could just go ahead and tell him right away."

When they were seated in front of Ryosuke, Keisuke pulled Miharu closer beside him and put his arm over her shoulder. Ryosuke did his best to ignore it and said instead, "I heard an interesting piece of gossip not ten minutes ago."

"Oh, really? What about? And since when did you start listening to gossip?" cheerfully asked Keisuke.

Ryosuke wanted to throttle his brother right then and there. He turned his gaze to Miharu and directed his question at her. "Is it true that you two are now officially going out?"

Before Miharu could respond, Keisuke exclaimed, "Yeah, just two days ago. I was so nervous when I confessed to her. I didn't think she'd accept me."

Ryosuke muttered under his breath, "Me neither."

"What was that?" asked Keisuke. Miharu emitted a small giggle and Ryosuke gave her a small smile, figuring she heard his comment.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Ryosuke.

"Well, the whole thing is still quite new for us too. We didn't really tell anyone outright. One of our classmates put the question to us and we simply said yes. That's when the whole story started to spread."

Ryosuke again looked at Miharu. "Well, I hope you guys will be happy. And make sure to tell mom and dad."

Keisuke pulled Miharu even closer to him and kissed her temple tenderly. It took all of Ryosuke's effort not to rip Keisuke away from Miharu then. "Aniki, could you not tell mom and dad yet? We're still getting used to the idea of us being together as more than friends but we promise to tell them when we're ready."

Ryosuke knew that he had to get away from them before he did something he'd later regret so he gave a curt nod, stood up and walked away. He could feel Miharu's eyes fixed on him as he left but he refused to look back, afraid that if he did he won't be able to stop himself from taking her into his arms and stealing her away from his brother.

* * *

"That went well," said Keisuke as he let go of Miharu and lay down on the grass.

Miharu looked at him in disbelief. "Just which part of that whole conversation can be classified as gone well?"

"The part when Aniki looked ready to beat the daylights out of me for kissing you. And it was just on the forehead! I'd like to see what his face will look like if I start kissing your lips," laughed Keisuke.

"You're unbelievable. I have half a mind to catch up to Ryosuke and tell him what this is really about."

"What, and ruin the fun? You're such a spoilsport."

"Kei-chan, I don't mind going along with this plan of yours but I really think playing with your brother's feelings is just wrong."

"Ugh, why do you have to be so in love with Aniki anyway?"

Miharu blushed and lightly swatted Keisuke's arm. "I am not."

"Right. Keep telling yourself that," said Keisuke sarcastically. "Jeez, just tell him already."

Miharu shook her head vigorously. "No way. He just doesn't like me that way."

"What's not to like? You're smart. You're nice. You're drop dead gorgeous. Quit being such a chicken!"

"Can we talk about something else?"

"Ugh, I give up! You are the most exasperating and stubborn girl I have ever met!"

"But you love me, right?"

Keisuke grinned. "Yeah, I love you. But seriously, do you want to go and tell Aniki the truth about us?"

"I'm still a bit ambivalent about it. A big part of me wants to but I think he wouldn't approve of what we're doing. On the other hand if we don't tell him we'd have to pretend we're in love even when we're at home and that would mean having to risk our parents finding out about it."

Keisuke scrutinized Miharu while she was looking down, playing with the blades of grass. Suddenly, everything seemed to click into place. _I get it. She doesn't want to lie to Aniki._

"Listen, I got you into this. I'll talk to Aniki tonight and tell him everything. I'll say I just tricked you into doing this for me."

Miharu looked up at Keisuke in surprise. "You'd do that?"

"Of course!"

Miharu launched herself into Keisuke's arms. Keisuke laughed and said, "You're such an open book, Miha-chan. It's so easy to read your emotions. I'll make things right with your precious Ryosuke."

* * *

Ryosuke pulled himself away from the window as the caring scene unfolded in front of him. He could hardly breathe, what with his heartbeat feeling like he'd run a hundred miles and his gut wrenching painfully.

_She's your brother's girlfriend. You don't have time for a relationship. She's your brother's girlfriend. You don't have time for a relationship. She's your…_

* * *

**A/N: **Next chapter will be set in the same timeline as this one. By the way, the school name is invented. Since Ryosuke attends Gunma University, I made the assumption that there's also a junior and senior high school. Lazy me. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE**

Keisuke knocked on the door to Ryosuke's room. "Aniki, you there? Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Ryosuke looked at the door. Frankly, Keisuke was the last person he wanted to see or talk to right now. He knew it was irrational to take his frustration over Miharu out on his brother but he just couldn't seem to help himself. When Keisuke knocked again, he sighed in defeat. "Come in, Keisuke."

Keisuke opened the door and he spotted his older brother with his back turned, typing away on his computer. Keisuke positioned himself on Ryosuke's bed and waited for Ryosuke to acknowledge him.

"Where's Miharu?"

Keisuke shrugged and said, "Her uncle asked her to baby-sit her cousin. She left an hour ago."

Without turning away from his computer, Ryosuke asked coldly, "What did you want to talk to me about, Keisuke? I am, as you can see, pretty busy at the moment."

Keisuke raised his eyebrow at Ryosuke's tone but didn't comment on it. Instead he said, "There's something you have to know about Miha-chan and me."

Ryosuke's hands halted over the keyboard. Before he could say anything, Keisuke rushed on. "We're not really going out."

Finally, Ryosuke turned to look at Keisuke. "Say what?"

"Miha-chan and I are just friends. We're not really going out."

Ryosuke crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm listening."

Keisuke explained everything from the meeting at the café to what happened that afternoon, carefully leaving out Miharu's feelings for Ryosuke. When he finished, he said, "Don't get mad at her, OK? She's got really sensitive feelings and she cares about what you think. It was all my idea and I just kinda forced her into the whole thing."

Ryosuke's response was slow in coming. Several emotions coursed through him: confusion, anger, but the most dominant was relief. And he couldn't believe just how pleased he was, almost to the point of glee. Keisuke looked at his brother's expression carefully. Ryosuke's face remained the same but his eyes betrayed all the feelings he was trying to hide.

"You like her, don't you."

Ryosuke looked sharply at Keisuke. "What are you talking about? Of course I like her. She's our next door neighbor and your best friend."

"You know what I mean, Aniki. I see the way you stare at her when you think no one's looking. And I saw the way you reacted when I kissed her this afternoon. I could almost feel you wanting to punch me."

Ryosuke was silent. Keisuke thought that his brother wasn't going to answer him when Ryosuke spoke, "How can I not like her? She's always been pretty but who would have thought she'd grow to become a total knockout? And she's only twelve! That girl can drive a saint to sin."

Keisuke grinned triumphantly. "You know, I had a feeling you'd say something like that. I used to think you were immune to her charms."

Ryosuke sighed. "I don't think anyone's immune to her. I've been hearing talk that even the guys from high school have been coming up to her even though she's only started junior high."

Keisuke was so tempted to tell his brother that Miharu likes him too but he refrained from doing so. He just said, "Why don't you do something about it then? Ask her out."

Ryosuke vehemently shook his head. "That's just out of the question. I'm attracted to her, yes. Hell, who wouldn't be? But I'm not in love with her. Besides, I have too much on my hands right now. A relationship with her, or anyone else, isn't a luxury I can afford."

"You sound just like her. Can we all say _denial_?" Keisuke muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. And please don't tell mom and dad. They'll freak," pleaded Keisuke.

"I won't but how long are you planning to keep this up?"

"As long as it takes," said Keisuke firmly.

Ryosuke was almost afraid to ask. "You like her too, don't you. Is this a plot to make her fall in love with you? If it is, Keisuke, I swear this is low even for you."

Keisuke looked shocked for a moment then burst out laughing. "Of course I like her. In fact, I love her. Miha-chan is my best friend. I'm not gonna lie to you and say that I don't like looking at her. I'd have to be blind not to. It's just that I'm so used to being her best friend that I can't see myself being anything else but that."

Ryosuke looked skeptical so Keisuke added, "Besides, she already has someone she likes."

"She does?" choked out Ryosuke.

"Yep. And she's liked him a long time now so even if I did like her I wouldn't stand a chance."

Ryosuke felt his heart sink. "You know who it is then?"

"Of course I do. But I'm not telling. Miha-chan will kill me," said Keisuke slyly. Inside, he thought, _Dear God, how can Aniki be so dense?_

"Right. Well, if there's nothing else then I have to get back to work," mumbled Ryosuke distractedly as he thought, _She likes someone else? And she's liked him a long time? Who could it be? Dammit, and why do I want to know?_

Keisuke stood up and headed for the door. Just as he was about to leave, Ryosuke asked, "By the way, what about that kiss and that hug you gave her this afternoon? Didn't she mind?"

"Oh, I always kiss and hug Miha-chan," brightly said Keisuke.

Ryosuke paled. "Always?"

"Yep. It's one of the perks of being her best friend."

"Even on her lips?" insisted Ryosuke.

Keisuke pretended to think about this before saying, "Come to think of it, I've never kissed her on the lips. I should ask her if I can when she gets back."

Ryosuke looked flabbergasted. Keisuke let out a small chuckle as he closed the door.

* * *

"Bunta oji-san, I'm here!" Miharu called out from the door of the tofu shop.

Bunta Fujiwara emerged from the back room of the shop carrying a wooden box filled with tofu. "Hi, Miharu-chan. I hope you didn't have any plans over the weekend. I'm just so busy with the shop I can't see to Takumi myself."

"It's not a problem oji-san. I love taking care of Taku-chan," smiled Miharu.

"He's in his room right now, just head on over there and make yourself at home."

Miharu winked at her uncle. "I always do."

Bunta watched as his niece walked away. _She's tall for a twelve year old. She might be able to reach the pedals already. I wonder if she'd be interested…_

* * *

"Miha-chan, what do we do next?" nine year old Takumi Fujiwara asked.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed now? It's nine already," Miharu said, glancing at her watch.

"That baka oyaji lets me stay up on weekends," replied Takumi nonchalantly.

Miharu laughed. "You really shouldn't call your dad that way."

Takumi merely snorted. Just then, there was a knock on the door of Takumi's room.

"Miharu-chan, when Takumi's asleep come downstairs for a while. I want to talk to you about something," Bunta said through the door.

"OK, oji-san," called out Miharu.

When Bunta left, Takumi nudged Miharu with his shoulder. "Sounds like you're in trouble," he teased.

"And sounds like you're off to bed," chuckled Miharu.

Takumi groaned. "But it's too early! I'm not even sleepy yet."

"Why don't I help you with your homework?" suggested Miharu.

"Great. How exciting. You're really determined to put me to bed, aren't you," grumbled Takumi.

Miharu only laughed.

* * *

Miharu looked inside the living room and saw her uncle reading a newspaper and smoking a cigarette. "You wanted to talk to me, oji-san?"

Bunta motioned for Miharu to sit down so she did, choosing a spot in front of him.

"You're twelve now, right?"

"Yes."

"How tall are you?"

Miharu wondered where this was going. "Last time I checked I'm five feet tall."

"Tell me, Miharu-chan. How much do you know about cars?"

* * *

**A/N:** Next chapter will be set in the same timeline but several months after this one. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_Several months later_

"Why are we here again? I know Aniki needs a dictionary but why did we have to come along?" muttered Keisuke as he followed behind Miharu.

"Because," patiently explained Miharu, "I need to buy some books for research."

Keisuke glanced at the titles of the books Miharu was holding. "Automotive Mechanics? How to Diagnose and Repair Automotive Electrical Systems? The Scientific Design of Exhaust and Intake Systems? Just what kind of research is this?"

Miharu merely grunted and seized another book from the shelf. Keisuke sighed and took the books Miharu was holding. She mumbled what Keisuke supposed was a "thank you" and pored over the book she just removed.

Ryosuke peered at each aisle, searching for Miharu and Keisuke. When he found them in the automotive section he approached them. "What are you looking for here?" he whispered to Keisuke.

"Ask her," Keisuke whispered back. "She's been buying books about cars like crazy. Says it's for research."

Ryosuke glanced at Miharu's profile and he felt his heart skip a beat. _Get a hold of yourself_, he mentally berated himself.

Miharu tossed the book she was holding to Keisuke and grabbed another one.

Ryosuke cleared his throat. "Miharu, what's all this for?"

Miharu jumped at Ryosuke's voice. "Oh, Ryosuke. I didn't notice you."

Keisuke looked at Miharu and said incredulously, "You didn't notice him?"

Miharu glared at Keisuke, which only earned her a wink.

Ryosuke raised his eyebrow in question and gestured towards the books. Miharu laughed nervously. "Oh, these. I'm just helping my uncle with some research."

Ryosuke looked at Keisuke who only shrugged. Miharu pushed the two brothers to the cashier to save herself from any more questions.

_It's tough enough having to hide the fact that I'm learning how to drive without a license from Kei-chan. No telling what I might blurt out in front of Ryosuke_, she thought.

When they were out of the bookstore, Ryosuke again turned to glance at Miharu who was struggling to carry all of the books she had purchased. Ryosuke sighed and said, "Give me those."

Miharu blushed, "It's OK, I can carry them."

Ryosuke stubbornly held out his hand. Miharu turned an even brighter shade of red and handed her books to Ryosuke. "Thanks, Ryosuke."

"What's with the sudden interest in cars? And don't tell me it's for your uncle. I've seen you reading automotive books in the library," asked Ryosuke.

Miharu's surprised gaze flew to Ryosuke's face. "You have? I mean, it's nothing. I've been spending most of my time taking care of my cousin and my uncle's really into cars. He kinda got me interested about them."

"I've taken an interest in cars myself. I want to try racing," confided Ryosuke.

"Really?"

Keisuke fell back a little and watched the animated exchange between Miharu and his brother with amusement.

_Denial. I still say it's denial._

* * *

Keisuke settled himself on Miharu's bed while she eagerly opened her books.

"So, what was that a while ago?" Keisuke asked offhandedly.

"What was what, Kei-chan?"

"Oh you know. You and Aniki. You guys hardly even noticed I was there."

"We were just talking about cars, that's all."

"Cars, huh."

Miharu looked sternly at Keisuke. "Kei-chan, don't start."

Keisuke laughed. "All right, all right. But anyway, what is up with those books? And you've been spending a lot of time with your uncle lately. You're never here on weekends and sometimes you spend your weeknights there too."

Miharu quickly thought of an excuse. "Well, my uncle's really busy with his shop and all and my cousin's only nine so I help out whenever I can. I love both of them to bits and I'm really close to my cousin."

"How come I've never met this cousin of yours?"

"He's never been to my house. My uncle doesn't like leaving Taku-chan in a place where an adult isn't close by. You know how it is with our parents."

"Taku-chan, huh," mumbled Keisuke. "Sounds cute."

* * *

When Keisuke left, Miharu buried her nose in her books. An hour had flown by when she was distracted by the engine roar of her mother's car. She checked the time and said to herself, "She's home early,"

Miharu went downstairs and saw her mother Junko entering the front door.

"Hi, mom. What's up? Why are you home so early?"

Junko looked unsmilingly at her daughter. "I had a very interesting conversation with Bunta this morning, young lady."

Miharu inwardly groaned. _Oji-san had to open his big mouth._

Miharu opened her mouth to defend herself but was silenced when Junko held up her hand. "Before you say anything, I want to know exactly how long he's been teaching you and tell me everything you know so far."

Miharu looked confused but answered as best as she could. She told her mom about the time she spent driving on Mt. Akina, how she can now perform most drifts, about the car's engine, and all the other things she learned over the past several months. Her mother remained silent, listening to her.

When she finished, Junko said, "Come with me."

Miharu trudged behind Junko. Once they reached the garage, Miharu threw a quizzical glance at her mother.

Junko opened the passenger car door and said, "Get in."

Miharu did as her mother asked, still unsure of what exactly was going on. Junko pulled out of the garage.

"Where are we going, mom?"

"You'll see soon enough."

Miharu stared out the window as her mother drove. A few minutes later, she realized that they were headed for Mt. Akagi. Miharu grew both apprehensive and excited. She'd wanted to see it again ever since she learned how to drive.

As her mother drove up to the peak, Miharu's eyes focused on the road. She tried to memorize the corners, the gutters, and every single detail she could absorb. Upon reaching the peak, Junko parked the car and turned off the engine. She turned to her daughter and asked, "Tell me what you noticed."

"About what, mom?" Miharu inquired, not really sure what her mother wanted to know.

"Everything. The road, the scenery, how I drive. Just tell me what you observed. You were observing, right?"

Miharu nodded. "Well, I noted that the road is kind of narrower than Akina. The slopes and corners are gentler too." As Miharu listed her observations, Junko listened intently.

After Miharu finished speaking, Junko asked, "How far are you from the guardrails when you hit the apex?"

"Oji-san told me to stay two inches away for now."

Junko nodded, seemingly satisfied with everything her daughter told her. Miharu was still confused and decided it was high time she asked, "Mom, what's with all the questions?"

"I'll answer that when we reach the base. Right now, I'll show you something."

Without so much as a warning, Junko performed a 180 degree turn and sped out of the parking lot. Junko didn't slow down even when they had reached the first corner. Miharu's shocked gaze flew to her mother's face. Junko's expression was calm when she drifted from start to finish. At the base of the mountain, Junko again turned off the engine and turned to her daughter. "Now tell me what you noticed."

Miharu wasted no time in telling her mother everything she noted. After she had told everything she could remember, Miharu looked at her mother in bewilderment. "Mom, where did you learn to drive like that?"

"I was the one who taught Bunta how to drive. Of course, I never really took it as seriously as he did so he quickly became better than me then he became the teacher and taught me how to drift. As you know, I'm two years older than Bunta and we were both pretty competitive so we used to argue about who was the better driver. He was, of course, though I never admitted it. When I started going to medical school, I stopped driving but for Bunta, it's a passion. He became so good that even professional drivers looked up to him. I found it odd that he never became a pro himself."

"I never really understood why you didn't buy a Benz like dad did. I mean, let's face it. A Lancer Evolution III doesn't really suit a female dentist. Now I know. And here I thought you were going to be so mad at me!"

Junko grinned at her daughter. "I should be but it would be kind of hypocritical, wouldn't it?"

Miharu remained silent, uncertain. Junko started up the engine and headed back up the mountain. Miharu turned her puzzled gaze at her mother. When they were again at the peak of Akagi, Junko turned off the engine, opened the door and hopped out. Miharu followed. Junko tossed the car keys to Miharu and winked.

"Show me what you got."

* * *

Miharu stared up at the ceiling while lying down on her bed. She recalled what her mother told her when they got home.

"Miharu, you have a lot of potential but you need a lot of practice. Listen, when you're not over at Bunta's I want you to take the Evo and drive down Akagi. But only do it at night and _don't_ let your dad catch you," Junko had warned.

Miharu felt a wide grin spread across her face. This was amazing! Now she can practice every night. Driving a 4WD had been exhilarating and totally different from her uncle's 86.

_I wish I could tell Kei-chan all about this. He'd totally freak!_

* * *

**A/N:** I obviously don't know much about cars so I've left the descriptions to a minimum. And I know the year models of the cars I'm using don't fit with the timeline but if you think about it none of the cars in Initial D do anyway (i.e., Bunta and Ken Kogashiwa being rivals 20 years ago. Bunta's AE86 and Ken's SW20 don't come from the same year). Besides, this is a romance. Next chapter will be set three years after this one. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_After three years_

Fifteen year old Miharu sat under the shade of a tree on the grounds of Gunma Senior High School, reading her usual automotive related book. She checked her watch and noted with impatience that she had been sitting on the same spot for over an hour.

"Where the heck is Kei-chan?" muttered Miharu, irritated.

As if on cue, Keisuke burst out of the door and ran to where Miharu sat. "Sorry, Miha-chan."

"What took you so long?" asked Miharu.

"I just took care of some things and time got away from me," replied Keisuke vaguely.

Miharu looked dubiously at Keisuke. "Whatever. Come on, let's head on home."

Miharu stood up to leave and brushed off some grass on her skirt. Just then, another figure rushed towards them.

"Miharu! Keisuke! Wait up!" Ryosuke called out.

Miharu felt her stomach knot and her face starting to go red. Keisuke nudged Miharu and whispered, "Get a grip, Miha-chan."

"Try telling that to the butterflies on my stomach," hissed back Miharu.

Ryosuke reached the spot where they were standing and paused to catch his breath.

"What's wrong, Aniki?" asked Keisuke.

"You've got to get me out of here. There's no way I can study for the college entrance exam with all these girls bugging me," panted out Ryosuke.

Miharu felt jealousy seeping through her veins but tried not to let it show as she said, "What about the library?"

Ryosuke stood up to full height and Miharu had to look up. _He sure has gotten taller. And cuter. And more handsome. Ugh, snap out of it!_

"I _was_ at the library. I swear, they're following me everywhere," Ryosuke said, giving Miharu a momentary look. He took in all he could, from her waist long black hair to her enticing purple eyes. _Did they have to make our uniforms so short?_ he thought distractedly.

Keisuke held back his laughter as he watched his brother and his best friend. _They're driving me nuts, checking each other out like that and trying not to get caught. It's denial, I tell you. I really should do something to get these two together._

"Umm, guys, why don't the two of you go ahead? I have to stay for a while and, uhh, talk to a teacher. Yeah. So, take Miha-chan home for me, Aniki!"

Before the two could say a word, Keisuke hurried back inside the school building. Miharu sighed and thought, _I'm going to kill him when he gets home._

Ryosuke awkwardly shuffled his feet and said, "I guess we should get going."

Miharu nodded and bent down to get her things. Ryosuke couldn't help looking at Miharu then and blushed. _Oh, God I'm such a pervert!_

Ryosuke wordlessly took Miharu's things and Miharu smiled. "Thanks, Ryosuke."

Ryosuke coughed lightly. "Let's go."

Miharu nodded and fell into step beside Ryosuke. The two didn't exchange a word and Miharu was beginning to feel uncomfortable. _I should say something. Here I am, walking with the guy I've been crushing on for eight years now and I can't think of a single word to say! How pathetic is that?_

So Miharu said the first thing that popped into her mind. "I heard from Kei-chan that you're getting your driver's license."

Ryosuke seemed startled when Miharu spoke. "Yeah, I am."

"You're lucky. I won't get mine for three more years."

Ryosuke chuckled. "Well, technically you have to be 18 to get one but since I'll be 18 in a few months, dad pulled some strings."

"Kei-chan says you're also getting a new car. Have you decided what you're getting yet?"

"A Mazda RX-7."

Miharu was impressed. "The FC? It's a tough car to master."

"I know. It's why I want it."

"Still thinking about racing?"

"Yeah, it's the only thing on my mind these days."

"I'll be expecting a ride," teased Miharu.

"Sure, but if you start wearing crash helmets like Keisuke keeps telling me to I swear I'll leave you by the side of the road."

Miharu laughed and the sound made Ryosuke's heart rate increase. On impulse, Ryosuke said, "You want to have a snack with me? Maybe coffee?"

Miharu turned her surprised but delighted face towards Ryosuke. "I'd love to."

* * *

Miharu went inside her room and sighed dreamily.

"Took you long enough," a voice grumbled from her bed.

Miharu jumped at the sound and glowered at Keisuke. "Don't scare me like that! Sheesh, what are you doing here anyway?"

Keisuke sat up. "Waiting for you, obviously. So, did you have fun on your date?"

Keisuke wiggled his eyebrows and Miharu blushed. "It wasn't a date," she countered. "Ryosuke and I were just chatting, that's all."

"Right. So the 'see you again tomorrow after school' I heard from Aniki is just for more chatting, I suppose," Keisuke said sarcastically.

Miharu gave Keisuke an accusatory glare, "You were spying!"

Keisuke rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Your window is right above the front door. I could hear everything without even trying."

Miharu groaned and flopped down next to Keisuke. Keisuke automatically put his arm around her as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Oh, Kei-chan, he's so wonderful! Who knew he could be so nice and charming and incredibly smart and he's so handsome to boot!"

Keisuke laughed. "And you're not in love with him, right?"

"You're not helping," Miharu said miserably.

"Look, just tell him how you feel already. The two of you are driving me insane pretending you don't like each other."

Miharu's forehead furrowed in confusion. "What are you saying?"

"Aniki likes you too, you dolt."

Miharu pulled away from Keisuke and looked deep into his eyes. "Define 'like'."

Keisuke threw his hands up in exasperation. "Like as in he likes staring at you when you're not looking. Like as in he wants to do me bodily harm whenever I give you a hug or kiss you. Like as in he gets jealous whenever other guys look at you."

Miharu shook her head, trying to suppress the glimmer of hope inside her heart. "You must be mistaken. There's no way he thinks of me like that."

"Argh, fine. Have it your way. But fact is fact and that's what I see."

Miharu thought about this. _Maybe I _should_ just tell Ryosuke. But what if Kei-chan's wrong? Ugh, it's all so confusing!_

* * *

Ryosuke stared at his reflection on the bathroom mirror. He turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face.

_I know I have to study and I know I have a lot of things to do but one look at Miharu's face and my mind goes blank. _

Ryosuke shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

_What made me ask Miharu out today? And what made me ask to see her again tomorrow? Dammit, I see her practically everyday, why isn't that enough?_

"You're crazy, Ryosuke Takahashi! You don't have time for all this sentimental crap!" his mind screamed at him.

"And why not?" his heart shouted back. "What's so bad about getting to know Miharu a little better?"

"It isn't practical and it isn't logical. You have goals to accomplish and too short a time to get them all done. If you get any more involved with her all your planning will be for nothing!" his mind retorted.

Ryosuke groaned out loud. _I'm going bonkers. I must be. But standing beside her, seeing her smiling at me, I just couldn't help myself. And who would've thought that she's intelligent and gentle aside from being totally good-looking? For the eight years I've known her this is really the first time we've actually sat down and talked. And it's so incredible! _She's_ incredible._

Ryosuke took a deep, calming breath. He looked at his reflection firmly and said, "Don't do anything stupid, Ryosuke. Just get to know her, be her friend. There can't be anything wrong with that. Just don't do anything stupid."

Ryosuke nodded to himself and headed back to his computer.

* * *

The next few weeks were a small slice of heaven for Miharu. She and Ryosuke went out for coffee almost everyday and when they didn't go out they hung out in Keisuke's bedroom. As each day passed, Miharu felt herself falling deeper and deeper for Ryosuke. She was falling so fast it scared her.

One day when Keisuke and Miharu were alone in her room, she told Keisuke what she was feeling. Keisuke listened patiently, which was a rare thing for him since he was such a hothead.

"What do you want to do?" asked Keisuke quietly.

Miharu moaned, "I dunno. I was hoping you'd tell me."

Keisuke shook his head. "Miha-chan, you already know what I'll tell you. I'd ask you to just tell Aniki. But I want to know what you want to do."

"I want to tell him, Kei-chan, but I couldn't bear it if he turns me down. And I'm so afraid of losing what we have right now. His friendship is just as important to me and declaring my feelings for him might jeopardize that. I could lose everything. And I'd just die if I do."

And she probably would. Keisuke knew that. Miharu's biggest flaw is her overly sensitive feelings. A rejection from his brother would crush her. But he knew that Miharu can't go on like this for much longer either.

"Miha-chan, you'll have to choose someday. You can't keep all of this bottled up inside you forever. Even guys from school are asking me what's up with you and Aniki."

This surprised Miharu. "I haven't heard anything. What have they been saying?"

Keisuke shrugged. "They're asking why the two of you are spending so much time together since you're supposed to be my girlfriend and all that."

Miharu grew slightly angry at this. "Don't they have anything better to do than gossip?"

Keisuke sighed, "What they're saying isn't really important, Miha-chan. It's what they've noticed that is. Aniki's pretty dense when it comes to these matters but pretty soon he'll start noticing it too. You're not exactly the best liar in the world and you're practically an open book."

Miharu remained mute, knowing Keisuke was right.

"Take your time and think about it, Miha-chan. But don't take too much time. You know I can't stand it when something's troubling you."

Miharu had to smile. "Aww, you're just a big sweetheart, aren't you Kei-chan?"

Keisuke growled, "I try to be serious and this is what I get?"

Miharu giggled and pinched Keisuke's cheeks. "Who's a good boy? Who's a cute boy?"

Keisuke couldn't help but laugh then. "You're cuckoo, you know that?"

"Seriously though. Thanks, Kei-chan. I'd be lost without you."

"That's why I'm here. Anyway, I'd better get home. You think about what I said and don't do anything without telling me first, you got it?"

Keisuke gave Miharu a tight hug and kissed her cheek then let himself out.

* * *

Ryosuke was pretty much in a similar state as Miharu was. His thoughts were occupied with Miharu's smiling face, her melodious voice, her laugh, everything about her. He always found himself staring at the clock, wishing the school bell would ring and he'd be with her again.

He had noticed that his classmates were whispering about his growing closeness to his younger brother's supposed girlfriend. But he didn't care. _Let them think what they want_, he thought.

And it was this direction of his thoughts that frightened him. Hadn't he said to himself that he would only get to know Miharu as a friend? Hadn't he warned himself not to get too close? Hadn't he drilled into his head not to do anything stupid?

_Maybe I should ask her out for real. Maybe she likes me too. Wait, didn't Keisuke tell me she already has someone she likes? And that she's liked him for a long time now? I don't stand a chance! Ugh, why am I even considering this?! You can't! What about your goals? What about racing? You don't have time for this!_

Ryosuke wanted to pull his hair out from frustration. All his smarts, all his plans, all his logic, down the drain because of one girl. He inhaled and held his breath, hoping it would calm him. When he exhaled, he thought, _OK. Let's stop and think for a second. I can't stop thinking about her. I look forward to seeing her. I enjoy talking to her. I never get tired of looking at her face. Hearing her laugh makes me want to laugh too. The thought of seeing her with another guy sends my blood boiling. If I'm going to be a doctor, I should be able to diagnose what's wrong based on these symptoms._

The truth suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks, almost knocking him from his chair. _Oh, God, no._

He was falling in love.

* * *

**A/N:** Next chapter set on the same timeline. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

"So tell me again why you can't tell this Ryosuke that you like him," twelve year old Takumi Fujiwara asked his cousin.

Miharu sighed, "Because, Taku-chan, it's complicated. I've liked him forever but we only started talking, I mean really talking, about a month ago. And now that we're finally becoming closer friends, I don't want to risk losing that for something that may very well be impossible to have."

"Tell me again why it's impossible."

Miharu folded her arms across her chest and looked crossly at her cousin. "Have you even been listening to a word I'm saying?"

Takumi rolled his eyes and said, "Well, duh. The point I'm trying to make is why is it so impossible for this guy to like you too? From what you've told me he hardly talks to anyone, especially girls, and in fact avoids them like the plague."

"That's because they're his fangirls and he hates being chased around like that," interrupted Miharu.

"Right. And then he goes and asks you to coffee almost everyday and hangs out with you and your best friend, who happens to be his brother. And said best friend and brother keeps telling you that you have a chance with him. Now tell me again what the problem is."

"Well if you put it that way it all becomes so simple but it really isn't that simple."

"Yes, it is," insisted Takumi. "Look, either way you're going to have to face him. Just ask yourself if you can remain as 'just a friend' to him or if you want something more. Besides, Miha-chan, I hate seeing you like this. It's not like you to be all bent out of shape over anything."

Miharu smiled at Takumi. "You know, you sound just like Kei-chan."

"And Kei-chan would be the best friend and brother, right?"

Miharu laughed. "You should meet him sometime."

Takumi snorted, "Based on what you've told me, I don't think I'd have anything in common with a pretty boy like that."

Miharu's response was to laugh harder.

* * *

Miharu yawned loudly as her uncle loaded boxes of tofu on the back of the AE86. Bunta looked at his niece worriedly and said, "Are you sure you can handle the delivery, Miharu-chan? You were up pretty late with Takumi last night."

Miharu waved her hands dismissively and said, "This is nothing, oji-san. You don't have to worry."

"Well if you're sure then here you go." Bunta handed Miharu a paper cup filled with water.

Miharu peered inside the cup. "There seems to be more than usual, oji-san."

"All part of your training, Miharu-chan. How's your driving on Akagi?"

"Pretty good. I know the mountain as much as I know Akina."

Bunta nodded. "You better get moving. And remember not to spill a single drop. I'd know."

"Yep, you can count on me."

Bunta watched as Miharu drove off. _I hope Takumi will have the same enthusiasm about driving as she does. Her rate of improvement is astounding. She doesn't even ask me questions as much as she used to and she can probably tune my car on her own. I don't have much left to teach her._

Bunta smiled to himself and went back inside the shop.

* * *

"I've decided to tell him," Miharu said all of a sudden.

Keisuke looked up from the math problem Miharu was tutoring him on and gazed directly into Miharu's eyes. They were in his room and Keisuke had asked for Miharu's help with his homework.

"Him being Aniki, right?" Keisuke said slowly.

Miharu nodded, her expression like that of a cornered rabbit.

"May I ask how you came to this decision?" inquired Keisuke, leaning back but not breaking eye contact.

"Well, I was talking to Taku-chan a week ago, you know, my cousin, and I've been thinking about what he said. And he made some interesting points, which is really hard to believe since he's only twelve and I can't remember being that insightful about love matters when we were twelve," babbled Miharu.

Keisuke chuckled in amusement at Miharu's flustered face. "And what did Taku-chan tell you?"

"Well," hedged Miharu, "he said that things aren't really as complicated as I made them out to be."

"In what way?"

"Basically he asked me if I could live the rest of my life as just a friend to Ryosuke. And I realized I couldn't. I have to know if there can be something more between us."

"That's all good but I have to know this: what if Aniki says no? I'm not saying he will but I want to assure myself that you'll be prepared for the worst. I know how sensitive your feelings are, Miha-chan."

Miharu rolled her eyes impatiently. "Look, do you want me to do this or not? May I remind you who's been bugging me for the past several years to go and confess?"

Keisuke sighed, "I just want to make sure that this is really what you want to do and that you're not doing it just because you're pressured by me or your cousin."

Miharu averted her eyes from Keisuke's. "I think I'm finally ready, Kei-chan. Besides, I feel like I'm lying to Ryosuke by hiding what I really want. Good or bad, favorable or not, I have to tell him."

"Just don't rush into it, Miha-chan. I don't want you to do anything rash."

"I've been waiting eight years. I think I can handle it," she said, standing up. _At least I hope so._

Keisuke stared at Miharu with a dazed look on his face. "What, you mean now?" You're telling him now?"

"If I don't do it now, I'll lose my nerve."

Keisuke frantically stood up, almost toppling his chair in the process. "Wait, are you really sure? Jeez, you're getting me all worked up!"

Miharu chuckled, "Hey, I'm the one doing the professing of love, not you. Calm down."

Keisuke ran his hand through his hair and mumbled, "Calm down, she says."

"Look, I'll just go over there to his room and tell him then I'll come back here. Piece of cake," Miharu said as confidently as she could, wishing she really felt that way.

Before Keisuke could say anything more, Miharu opened the door to his room and stepped out.

* * *

Ryosuke reread the same paragraph on his textbook for what must be the hundredth time before he groaned and slammed the book shut. He just couldn't concentrate. He'd been avoiding Miharu for almost a week now, ever since that day when he realized he was getting in way over his head.

_She's still on my mind. I'm itching to see her. I miss her terribly. With these symptoms, I'd say I'm suffering from Miharu withdrawal syndrome_, he thought absently.

A knock on his door jarred him from his thoughts. Assuming it was Keisuke, he said, "Come in."

Surprise was evident on his face when Miharu walked inside. Misinterpreting his expression, Miharu blushed and said, "I hope I'm not disturbing you, Ryosuke."

Ryosuke shook his head, at the same time scrambling to get his composure back. "I was just taking a break from studying."

"Do you mind if I talk to you for a second? I promise it won't take too long," said Miharu uncertainly.

"Of course. Is there something wrong?" asked Ryosuke. He motioned for Miharu to sit on the bed and she did so hesitantly.

"Depends on who's asking," muttered Miharu.

Ryosuke knit his brows together. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Miharu blushed again and twiddled her thumbs. Ryosuke waited patiently, watching her try to get her thoughts together. He was also enjoying the view, but he wasn't about to admit that.

Finally Miharu spoke, "Ryosuke, I know this is going to sound really crazy and I hope you don't hate me after this and I wish you won't take this the wrong way – wait, what am I saying, of course you're going to take this the wrong way but you'll have to allow me to explain…I'm not making much sense, am I?"

Ryosuke's face reflected confusion and a bit of apprehension. He nodded slightly and said, "Just tell me what's the matter."

"I'm in love with you!" Miharu blurted out.

* * *

**A/N:** Hmm, I kind of fudged my way through this chapter. And it's pretty short, too. Next chapter will be the last of my "flashbacks". 


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

"I'm in love with you!" Miharu blurted out.

Ryosuke froze. _Did she just say what I thought she said?_

Miharu continued, unable to stop herself from getting the words out now that she had started, "I've liked you since I was seven. Yes, that would be the first time I saw you. I really thought I'd grow out of it, since I was going through the 'fairy tale prince' stage at the time and we both know you're so incredibly handsome, but I didn't grow out of it. In fact, the more I saw you, the more I liked you and not even Kei-chan's constant teasing got me to stop liking you. And lately we've gotten to talk more and part of me was thinking that maybe I'd stop crushing on you if you became a close friend but it just had the opposite effect and I ended up falling in love with you."

Ryosuke was having trouble keeping up because he was still in a state of mild shock. "You think I'm handsome?"

Miharu laughed nervously, "Well, yeah."

When Ryosuke's brain finally understood all that she had said, he asked, "Let me get this straight. The guy you've liked for a really long time was me?"

Miharu's startled gaze flew to Ryosuke. "Wait, how did you know about that?"

"Keisuke mentioned something to me but that was years ago."

"I swear your brother talks too much," grumbled Miharu.

Ryosuke shook his head, unable to accept what he had heard. "But Miharu, why me?"

Miharu smiled. "And why not you? You're intelligent, handsome, and you're really nice. I'll admit that you don't show that nice side of yours to people very often but these past few weeks have made a difference, to me at least. I feel like I've gotten to know a different side of you, you know?"

When Ryosuke didn't respond, Miharu asked, "I just have to know, Ryosuke. Could you possibly see me as more than just your brother's best friend? Could you maybe like me too?"

Ryosuke was at a loss. His heart was doing cartwheels but his mind was rebelling against everything.

"Keisuke said you did," her voice interrupted his thoughts yet again.

"He said what?" he asked, dreading her words. _Just what else has Keisuke been telling Miharu?_

"He said that you like me too," said Miharu, while again twiddling her thumbs.

Ryosuke inwardly groaned. He recalled something his brother had said to him before.

"_Don't get mad at her, OK? She's got really sensitive feelings and she cares about what you think."_

Ryosuke knew he was in a pinch. His heart chanted, "Go for it, Ryosuke! You know you want to. Isn't this great news? She's in love with _you_!"

On the other hand, his mind was giving him a different command. "Don't do it, Ryosuke! Love is nothing more than a distraction, a weakness. If you do this, everything you've worked to accomplish will come crashing down on you."

So what was he to do? Ryosuke opened his mouth, hoping that whatever came out of it wasn't something that would hurt Miharu. After all, he was letting his mind take over. Miharu smiled and looked at him expectantly.

"Of course I like you, Miharu. I've known you since we were kids and you've been a really good friend to Keisuke. And lately, you've become a really good friend to me too."

Miharu kept her smile in place but her heart began to sink. "Here comes the 'but'."

"But," stressed Ryosuke, "that's all I think of you as, Miharu. I'm really sorry and I really didn't want to hurt your feelings but I just can't give you what you're asking for."

Ryosuke's heart wailed, "What? This is your chance! Don't blow it!"

Tears started brimming in Miharu's eyes and she looked away. She laughed, trying to cover her distress and embarrassment. "Bah. I knew it. You probably think I'm just as bad as your fangirls."

Ryosuke stood up and sat beside Miharu on his bed. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her lightly. "That's not true," he said vehemently. "You're smart, beautiful and kind. You're nothing like they are."

When the tears started falling on Miharu's cheeks, Ryosuke felt his heart shatter. _What have I done?_

Miharu turned her eyes and stared straight into Ryosuke's. He shifted uncomfortably, feeling as if Miharu can see right through him, and he almost wished she could. Suddenly, Miharu said in a clear voice, "Kiss me, Ryosuke."

Ryosuke was stunned. "What?"

"I've already made a fool of myself so what's the harm in doing it again? Kiss me. If you're going to reject me at least give me something to hold on to. Be my first kiss," Miharu said calmly.

This was crazy. He'd never kissed a girl before. Ryosuke's heart slammed excruciatingly across his chest. What should he do?

"Please," whispered Miharu painfully.

Ryosuke didn't know if it was the pain he heard in her voice, or the smell of her rose scented perfume, or the fact that she just looked so darn beautiful. He gently took her face into his hands and slowly closed the gap between their lips. Miharu's eyes fluttered closed.

The first touch of their lips sent jolts of electricity through Ryosuke's body. He felt Miharu tremble slightly and her hands tentatively slide up his chest. That was probably what set him off. He let out a groan, and common sense flew out the window. His body took over from there. His arms went around her; one of his hands cupped the back of her neck, locking her in place, while the other tangled itself in her hair. She let out a soft moan and Ryosuke used this opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth.

He kissed her like there was no tomorrow. And there really wasn't, he realized belatedly. He would never have this chance again, so he took what he could, relishing it, committing it to memory. When oxygen became a necessity, he reluctantly pulled away and looked at her face.

Miharu's eyes remained closed. Unshed tears lingered at the corners of her eyes and he lightly brushed it away with his thumb. She turned her face to his touch and Ryosuke ached to kiss her again.

"Promise me something, Ryosuke."

Ryosuke cleared his throat and gruffly replied, "If I can."

"Promise me you'll become a terrific racer and that you'll race against me someday."

Ryosuke saw no harm in that, although he was slightly puzzled by the request. "All right, I promise."

Miharu smiled sadly and stood up. Ryosuke did so as well. "Well, that's all I wanted to say. I'm sorry if I took too much of your time. Goodbye, Ryosuke."

Goodbye? Ryosuke had never felt this helpless before. He wanted to ease her pain, bring back her laughter, but he was powerless and his mind was unwilling.

"It's not too late," his heart said in a panicky voice. "Take it all back!"

"Miharu…" he said hesitantly.

She didn't let him say anything more. She ran to the door and closed it behind her.

"It's for the best," his mind said knowingly.

_Shut up, both of you!_ growled Ryosuke inwardly.

He opened the door and followed after her.

* * *

Keisuke stood edgily on the hallway, leaning on the wall beside the door to his room. He was anxiously waiting for Miharu to come out of her brother's room.

The moment he laid eyes on her as she closed the door to Ryosuke's room with her shoulders slumped, he knew everything had gone wrong.

"Oh, Miha-chan…" sighed Keisuke.

Miharu sensed Keisuke's presence and she ran to him. She threw her arms around his waist and burrowed her face in his shirt. He immediately pulled her close.

Miharu said simply and in a faintly muffled tone, "He didn't want me, Kei-chan."

At the corner of his eye, he saw Ryosuke step outside of his bedroom. Ryosuke opened his mouth to call Miharu and started to move closer but Keisuke shook his head slightly. Ryosuke stilled.

"I'm sorry, Miha-chan. Come on, let's get you home," Keisuke said softly while stroking her hair soothingly.

Miharu nodded her consent. She hadn't noticed Ryosuke watching them.

"I think I screwed up, Kei-chan. I'm sorry." Then she promptly burst into tears.

Keisuke gave his brother a sad, almost disappointed, look then turned away, leading Miharu down the stairs.

* * *

That evening, Takumi went inside his room after soccer practice and was surprised to see Miharu sitting on his bed. Takumi took one look at his cousin's forlorn face and said, "Didn't go so well, huh?"

Miharu forced a smile on her face. "Am I that obvious?"

Takumi went over to her and gave her a hug. "He probably doesn't deserve you anyway."

"You say the nicest things, Taku-chan."

"So what are you gonna do now?" asked Takumi.

Miharu cast a wry glance at her cousin. "I hope you don't mind having me for a roommate."

* * *

_She's either sick or she's avoiding me_, declared Ryosuke to himself.

This thought was almost immediately followed by, _Well, duh, you think?!_

Ryosuke felt ill at ease. He hadn't seen Miharu at all since that day a week ago and his brother hadn't spoken to him at all. He couldn't blame them, though. Even he wanted to get away from himself.

Not knowing, however, was driving him to distraction. He wanted to know how Miharu was. He wanted to know if Keisuke was mad at him. He decided to at least try to make things right with Keisuke.

Ryosuke knocked on Keisuke's door and hoped to God his brother would let him in. He didn't have to pray very long when he heard Keisuke say, "Come in, Aniki."

Relieved, Ryosuke opened the door and saw Keisuke sitting on his desk with his back turned. "Keisuke, we need to talk."

"If it's about Miha-chan, there's nothing to talk about," responded Keisuke casually.

"Yes, there is. Keisuke, I know you're mad at me and I want to apologize."

Keisuke sighed and turned to look at Ryosuke. "I'm not mad at you, Aniki. I think you're stupid for turning her down but I'm sure you have your reasons."

"How's Miharu doing?" asked Ryosuke quietly.

Keisuke ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I wish I knew. I haven't seen her since I took her home last week."

"What?" exclaimed Ryosuke.

"She hasn't come to school at all. I went to her house several times but her mom just told me she was at her uncle's place. I asked for the address but she said that Miha-chan didn't want me to know where it is. I even told her mom that I had Miha-chan's homework with me but she just took it from me and said she'd give it to her. I've been worried sick and I've been practically living beside the phone waiting to hear from her."

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I wish there was something I could do," said Ryosuke remorsefully.

Keisuke smiled. "There is, but I already know you'll say no."

Ryosuke got the hint. He smiled apologetically and said, "Let me know if there's anything else I can do."

* * *

**A/N:** My bad. I said that this will be the last of my "flashbacks" but my next one is still set in the same timeline. Gomen, gomen. And about Takumi's soccer practice, I remember he was kicked out of the team when he punched Miki because of a comment he made about Natsuki. I just incorporated the soccer thing on a spur of the moment so tell me if I made a mistake about it. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

"Are you sure you want to do the delivery tonight, Miharu-chan? You look dead tired," asked Bunta.

Miharu let out a loud yawn and sleepily replied, "I can handle it, oji-san."

"I know something's wrong. You've been here a week, you haven't been going to school and I can tell you hardly sleep at night. I don't understand why Junko doesn't just pick you up and take you home."

"Mom's been busy making the arrangements."

"Arrangements? Arrangements for what?"

"I'm moving back to New York, oji-san."

"What? Junko never mentioned that your family was moving back there," said Bunta.

"That's because it's just going to be me, oji-san."

"What's this all about, Miharu-chan? Why are you moving? It's all so sudden."

Miharu avoided her uncle's gaze and stepped into the driver's seat of the 86. "I received an invitation to attend a boarding school in New York. It's a wonderful opportunity and it'll offer me a straight shot to Harvard."

Bunta scrutinized his niece's expression. "I hope you've talked to Takumi about whatever's bothering you."

Miharu had to laugh at her uncle's perceptiveness. "There's just no fooling you, is there. Taku-chan's been a great help to me and I'm really going to miss him when I leave. You too, of course."

Bunta smiled at his niece. "Me too. Who's going to do the delivery when you're gone?"

"There's always Taku-chan. He's almost thirteen now. I think it's about time he started driving, don't you agree?" winked Miharu.

Bunta grinned. "There's that. You better get going then."

Bunta handed Miharu the customary paper cup then she roared away.

* * *

Two weeks. Ryosuke couldn't believe that two miserable weeks have passed since he refused the love of the only girl who turned his mind to mush.

Ryosuke didn't know it was possible to feel this utterly wretched. The whole scene with Miharu just kept playing over and over in his head. It was driving him crazy. He was a jumble of thoughts and emotions and it all centered on Miharu's crying face.

He regretted his actions, for the most part. He was still uncertain that he made the right choice in dumping Miharu and choosing his straight, mapped out life, but he was always quick to assure himself that it was all for the best.

Miharu deserves someone who can devote himself to her. Someone who can love her the way she ought to be loved. And he didn't think he would be able to provide that.

"Who are you to be the judge of that?" grumbled his heart.

Ryosuke paid no attention to his heart. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, so much so that it hardly spoke to him anymore. But when it did, it always made him ache.

Mostly it was the guilt that was eating at him. Keisuke moped around the house, worried that Miharu had gone and done something stupid. He acted like he'd lost his best friend, and Ryosuke began to think that maybe he had.

And to cause Miharu, or anyone else, that much pain? He couldn't live with himself. Yeah, maybe he was placing too much importance to himself but he really couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that everything was his fault.

"That's because, oh I don't know, it is!" his heart said sarcastically.

Ryosuke promptly told it to shut up.

When the phone rang, both brothers jumped. Keisuke rushed to answer it, hoping that it was finally Miharu.

"Hello?" Keisuke breathlessly said through the receiver.

"Kei-chan? I'm so glad it's you."

"Miha-chan!" exclaimed Keisuke. Ryosuke breathed a sigh of relief. "I was worried sick! Where are you? How've you been? Why haven't you been going to school?"

Miharu let out a small chuckle. "I'm fine, Kei-chan. I've been staying with my cousin. Can't say he's too happy about it though since I've taken over his room."

"Come on home, Miha-chan," pressed Keisuke.

There was a pause on the line. "Is Ryosuke there, Kei-chan?"

Keisuke cast a quick glance at Ryosuke who was sitting beside him. Afraid that Miharu will hang up if he told the truth, he said, "No, he's not here right now. Some after school activity, I think."

"Oh, Kei-chan. I'm so sorry about everything. I know I said I could handle it if things didn't go well. I know I said I was ready. Apparently my brain and the rest of me are at odds."

"Forget about it, Miha-chan. Just come home. We can talk about it when you get here."

"Thing is, Kei-chan," Miharu said timidly, "I won't be coming home anytime soon."

Keisuke was suddenly filled with dread. "What are you talking about?"

"Listen, I can't stay on the phone long because I have to leave soon. Do something for me, will you? I left a package with mom for you over at my house. Go pick it up, OK?"

"Wait, you're leaving? For where? And what package? What the hell's going on, Miha-chan? You're not making any sense," Keisuke said angrily.

"Just get the package and everything will be clear then. I'm sorry Kei-chan, I really have to go. I love you. Tell Ryosuke I love him too," Miharu said before she hung up.

Keisuke stared at the receiver until the busy tone jarred him from his thoughts. He slammed the phone down and stormed out of the house. Ryosuke, curious as he was, followed after his brother.

Ryosuke caught up with Keisuke just in time to see him bang loudly on the Watanabe's front door. They heard footsteps inside and then the door opened.

Junko smiled when she saw them. "Ah, Keisuke, Ryosuke. I suppose you're here for the package, right?"

"What's going on? Where's Miha-chan?" snapped Keisuke.

"Mind your manners, Keisuke. Sorry about that Watanabe-san," said Ryosuke apologetically.

Junko shook her head. "It's quite all right, Ryosuke." Junko turned to Keisuke and said, "Keisuke, Miharu-chan didn't want me to say anything and she insisted that she'd handle everything. She just wanted me to make sure that you open the package."

Keisuke grudgingly nodded. The two waited while Junko retrieved the package. Keisuke muttered in an irritated voice, "I swear one of these days Miha-chan's going to drive me to the loony bin."

Ryosuke silently agreed, but for all too different reasons. Junko came back and handed a box to Keisuke. "Make sure you open it right away."

"Thanks, Watanabe-san," Ryosuke said politely.

Junko waved then closed the door. Keisuke was tearing at the gift wrapper viciously. Inside the gift was a cellular phone box.

"A cellphone? Argh, this is getting annoying!" snarled Keisuke.

The two of them walked back to their house and when they reached Keisuke's room, they settled themselves on the bed. The cellphone box sat between them and they both stared at it.

"OK. I don't know what game Miha-chan's playing but I'll bite. She'd better have a damn good explanation for this," said Keisuke.

Keisuke opened the box started to take out the contents when a note fell out. Ryosuke picked it up.

"What does it say, Aniki?"

Ryosuke shrugged and read, "The phone's fully charged and fully functional. All you need to do is turn it on."

Keisuke mumbled incoherently but obediently turned on the phone. A few moments later the phone started flashing, alerting Keisuke that he had two voice messages.

Keisuke immediately retrieved the messages. Miharu's voice filled his ears.

"Kei-chan, I'm really sorry for being such a coward and not saying goodbye to you face to face. By the time you get this, I'll be on a plane headed for New York. I know you said for me not to do anything stupid but I don't think you can say that this is. I'm going to a boarding school. It's a really good one and it could be my ticket to Harvard. Knowing you, however, you'd just say I'm running away and you're probably right. I just can't face Ryosuke right now, and most likely not for a long time. I don't think I can bear to see him and not want to… Oh, you get the point. I want you to keep this phone, and I'll call you as soon as the plane lands. I saved my number in the phone's contact list. I love you, Kei-chan. The second message is for Ryosuke."

Keisuke slowly removed the phone from his ear, unable to believe what he had just heard. Ryosuke looked at him agitatedly then flinched when Keisuke suddenly started screaming at the phone.

"Miha-chan, you lousy idiot! How dare you do this without telling me? Me! You are the most obnoxious, stubborn and melodramatic girl I have ever met!"

Keisuke panted after his outburst then thrust the phone towards his brother. "The other one's for you. I'm taking a walk."

Ryosuke took the cellphone from his brother's hand and as soon as he did, Keisuke stomped out. Ryosuke heard the front door slam shut and he sighed heavily. He looked at the blinking phone and slowly retrieved the last message.

"Ryosuke," said Miharu, "There really isn't much left to say. I think we covered all that needed to be said the last time we talked. You needn't worry about what you're going to do or say the next time we meet because we won't, at least not for a long time. Take care of Kei-chan for me, would you?"

So she left. That much Ryosuke understood. He wanted to scream at her, tell her how unreasonable she was being, hug her and kiss her all at the same time.

But he couldn't, could he. She was gone and Ryosuke's the reason why. He felt like he had to be the vilest creature on the planet right now.

Although, if one thinks about it, this is what he wanted, wasn't it? He'd rejected her love so he could be free from distractions, free to pursue his dreams, free to achieve his goals. He should be grateful that Miharu went to wherever it is she's gone to. And good riddance too.

His heart yelled, kicked and punched, struggling to knock some sense into him but he ignored it. He steadily built an icy wall around the offending organ. No longer would he listen to it. No longer will these strange emotions surface again.

He'd gotten what he wanted, and by God, he was going to show everyone he did the right thing.

He snapped the phone shut, calmly set it down on Keisuke's bed, then left.

* * *

**A/N:** And thus, Ryosuke Takahashi, the cold, calculating and analytical racer we all know and adore (at least, I do), was born. I'm trying to decide if I should start writing the main plot or if I should make an interlude first (I was thinking somewhere along the lines of small snapshots of how the characters did in the six years they were apart). Let me know what you think. 


	9. Interlude

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**INTERLUDE**

_Bunta_

I was immensely disappointed when Miharu decided to leave. She was an extremely quick learner. Heck, she was a lot better than I was at that age. I really wished she didn't go to New York but of course, as her uncle, I supported her 100 percent. Besides, I knew she wouldn't let all that I taught her go to waste. She'd find some way to drive again in New York.

She has a good head on her shoulders and whatever happened to her here that made her just pack up and leave everything behind must have been one hell of an ordeal.

So I was stuck doing the deliveries again myself for a while but Miharu did make an interesting point. My own son was at the age she was when I first taught her how to drive. I started feeling excited again. The prospect of teaching another fresh, young driver filled me with anticipation.

Who would have thought that my boy would be as resistant to driving as bugs are to insect spray? My own flesh and blood had absolutely no desire to learn and only saw the whole thing as a chore. Well, it really was, but Miharu never found it to be as tiresome as Takumi did.

There was a silver lining, however. Takumi's want of sleep. He unwittingly drove as fast as he could so he could get home as soon as possible to get more sleep. I figured it was the best chance I could hope for so I took it.

I set up the 86 in such a way that he learned something new every time he drove, kind of like a practical course on driving minus the lectures. And I made him do the delivery every single day, regardless of the conditions. I was surprised at how well it worked out. Takumi had an uncanny ability to just see and feel the road and the car. My son was a natural. Granted, he took longer to learn than Miharu did. Five years. But at least he was almost at the level Miharu was before she left. It was more than I anticipated.

Then came the day when Yuuichi told me about a downhill race on Akina with a team from Akagi. I couldn't believe my luck. And all the boy wanted in exchange was a full tank of gasoline! I had full confidence that Takumi would win.

And so it went. That first race was followed by a GT-R, an EG6, even some races on Usui and Myogi. I could hardly contain my delight. Takumi even started asking me questions, though he almost always took them back. It was a start.

When the 86's engine gave out, I knew our "lessons" would become more difficult. Takumi still basically only won his races by either skill or luck, not with knowledge which he still sorely lacked. But I knew I at least made progress in one aspect: Takumi began to enjoy driving and racing.

Another surprise came when Takumi decided to join a team called Project D. It was then that I decided to just give the 86 to Takumi. I was glad he had found people he can learn from, people he wasn't hesitant to ask questions to.

Wait, was that the phone?

* * *

_Takumi_

The first week after Miha-chan left, I was really lonely. I was so used to having her around every weekend. I missed our late night talks. I missed her teasing. I missed all of her.

What I missed most of all was her doing the deliveries to Akina. Damn that baka oyaji. Almost as soon as she'd left, I got stuck with driving to the hotel. I don't know how she did it. I mean, Miha-chan actually _enjoyed_ doing the deliveries. In fact she volunteered to do it. All I wanted was to curl up in bed and sleep.

And let me tell you, driving with that annoying paper cup was _hard_. I couldn't believe that baka oyaji didn't expect me to spill a single drop. I tried everything from driving slow to not braking at all. Well, I eventually got the hang of it but I couldn't imagine how Miha-chan never complained about it at all.

It wasn't all that hard keeping the whole driving thing from Itsuki. I mean, the guy thought I was just a sleepyhead anyway. In a way he was right. Blame that baka oyaji. I was glad when I started finishing the deliveries faster and faster. Yup, you guessed right. I wanted my sleep.

Sometimes Miha-chan called and I complained to her about everything. She only laughed and told me, "Just think of it as early morning exercise." Right. Like that helped.

The yellow FD came as a surprise to me. But I was more irritated at it. I had to pass it. It was driving too slowly. How was I supposed to know the FD driver was part of the RedSuns team Itsuki, Iketani-senpai and Kenji-senpai was yammering on about? And how was I to know that defeating that FD would start a chain of events that would change the way I viewed driving forever?

So I raced. I was forced to, at first. Eventually I began accepting challenges on my own. Battle after battle I felt a growing need to prove that I could win. Then it hit me. I _liked_ driving. I was actually good at it.

When Ryosuke-san approached me and asked me to join a racing team he was forming, I was both a bit shocked and pleased. It was an honor that someone as skilled as he was recognized a, shall we say, talent in me. I knew I would learn a lot from him, and I wanted to see how I stood up against other drivers, so I agreed.

Now I'm the team's downhill ace. It's fun and I'm learning a lot at the same time. Iketani-senpai and the others are even surprised that I can actually understand cars a lot better now. I guess I have that baka oyaji to thank for teaching me to drive. Most everything that I've learned came from doing all those deliveries.

Another factor that's contributed to my improvement lately, however, is Keisuke-san. I have a feeling he's taken it upon himself to be the one to defeat me and it's that rivalry, and the fact that I hate to lose almost as much as he does, that's fuelling me to improve. It's a big world out there. I still have a lot to learn.

Phone's ringing. I better go get that.

* * *

_Keisuke_

I lost my best friend.

Well, technically, she just moved away. But nevertheless, I didn't get to see her or talk to her as much as I wanted to. Stupid Miha-chan.

I kept the phone she gave me and, for a while, she called me everyday. The calls dwindled over time. I missed her terribly. I kept asking to see her but she'd always just laugh and tell me, "Soon, Kei-chan."

Soon. Hah! How is six freakin' years "soon"?

A lot happened during that time. I went into, let's call it, a "rebellious stage". I joined a street gang, got into a lot of trouble, became the leader of said gang and got into more trouble. Let me tell you, it was rough. My life was going downhill.

Thinking back, I lost my way because Miha-chan wasn't there to anchor me down. She wasn't there to guide me. I realized how dependent I really was on her and just how much she meant to me as a friend. During that period in my life I could tell how worried she was whenever we talked on the phone. She scolded me a lot but without her physically there beside me, she really wasn't able to do much.

I was taken aback one day when I turned eighteen. Aniki dragged me to his FC, strapped me to the passenger seat, and took me for a ride. Aniki pretty much left me on my own after Miha-chan left. Besides, he was always busy studying, tinkering with his car and whatever else. To this day I don't know why he suddenly took an interest in me.

I pretty much sulked the whole ride to Akagi. At least, that was until we reached the peak. It was at that moment that I knew the real meaning of fear.

Aniki drove down the mountain at amazing speed. I think I screamed like a little girl but he was relentless. And indescribably good.

I decided then and there to become as good, if not better, than Aniki. I got myself an FD so I could drive a Rotary, just like Aniki. I practiced every chance I could and I was happy to see that Aniki approved. He even said I was skilled, that I was a natural.

A few months later, Aniki formed a team of drivers handpicked by him and called it the Akagi RedSuns. I became Aniki's number two driver and we took the street racing world by storm. We were featured in countless magazines and people who were into racing knew who we were. We were unstoppable.

That was until we went to Akina.

Takumi Fujiwara beat me. Not only once, but twice. Twice! What's worse, he beat Aniki too. I swore that I would be the one to defeat him.

Aniki, however, had different plans. He wanted to form a new team and asked Takumi to be one of the drivers. I was outraged, at first. But I quickly came to realize how advantageous this was. Aniki would realize his dream of reaching the top of the street racing world, and I would get to keep my eye on Takumi.

If Takumi did ten runs, I'd do twenty. If he stayed up for an hour later than we were supposed to, I'd stay up for two. I was determined to become better than he was. Although I had to admit, he was a good kid and even if I don't show it much, I totally supported him. After all, he carried Project D's name. But I'm still going to defeat him. Then, I'm going to race professionally.

I wish Miha-chan could see what I've accomplished.

* * *

_Ryosuke_

It was hard but I dealt with it. I had to.

Whether I wanted to admit it or not, Miharu had gotten under my skin. The first few weeks after I had resolved to get her out of my system proved to be arduous. I don't know how I did it but I somehow managed to make it happen.

I couldn't completely forget her, though. I made a promise to become a terrific driver and I felt like I owed it to her to do so. The day I got my FC I immediately headed to Akagi and tested myself. I knew I had a lot to learn.

I took up circuit, karting and street racing. I read every single automotive book I could find. I trained hard and pushed myself. And it paid off. Magazines wanted to interview me, professional teams wanted to recruit me…I was well on my way to becoming one of the top amateur drivers around.

I decided to devote myself to racing on mountain passes and as I worked my way to the top, I became known as the White Comet of Akagi. My entire life revolved around racing. And school, of course. I was so busy I hardly had time for anything else.

One day when I was twenty, I received a phone call. I assumed it was one of my fangirls so I told mom to just make up an excuse so I wouldn't have to answer it. The caller was persistent, said my mom, and claimed to have something of utmost importance to tell me. I was irked but I took pity on my mom and took the call. Just as I was about to bite the caller's head off, someone spoke. Mind you, I couldn't tell if it was a male or female. The voice was too muffled but the message was crystal clear.

"You are a jerk, Ryosuke Takahashi. You're so wrapped up in your own little world that you don't even know that something's wrong. Your brother Keisuke is currently the leader of a frickin' street gang and is destroying his life. If he isn't stopped, he's going to end up either dead or in jail. You promised you'd take care of him so do your goddamn job!"

I was shocked to say the least. Who was that? And more importantly, was it true?

I did some digging and discovered that it wasn't a prank call. Keisuke was in some serious trouble and I had to do something. Fast. But I didn't know what.

So I did what I knew best. I strapped my brother to the passenger seat of my FC and drove hard down Akagi. I think I scared the daylights out of him but I accomplished what I set out to do. I never heard from the mysterious caller again but I'll always be indebted to whoever it was.

I took Keisuke under my wing and helped him improve his driving. The moniker White Comet of Akagi gave way to the Takahashi Brothers. I wasn't solo anymore. That said, I formed a team called Akagi RedSuns and recruited only the best drivers in our area. Our goal was to become the best and we almost were, until we came to Akina.

I could hardly believe it when Keisuke told me he lost to an 86. A 350-hp Mazda RX-7 FD3S couldn't possibly lose to an 86, could it? I hadn't wanted to watch the match on Akina, preferring to let Keisuke handle everything, but I had to admit I was curious.

And so began my fascination with the driver named Takumi Fujiwara. His rate of absorption, and the way he controlled his car, was amazing. What was even more amazing was that he knew almost next to nothing about cars. When even I couldn't win against him, I figured I'd just get him to join me.

That was when I formed a new team called Project D, a special team that will only last for a year. The only year I have left to race. Sometimes I envied Takumi and Keisuke and wished I was the one driving instead.

I wonder if I'll ever get to race again.

* * *

_Miharu_

I cried for almost a week.

It was almost appalling how heartbroken I was. Curse my overly sensitive feelings, as Kei-chan would say. I realized that crying wasn't going to get me anywhere so I forced myself to stop.

I immersed myself in my studies. The boarding school really was a good opportunity for me so I buried myself in work. There was also racing. I got myself a license as soon as I turned sixteen, bought a red RX-8 and hit the streets. I didn't have time for much else.

I still talked to Kei-chan whenever I could. Even though we were far apart I couldn't bear to replace him with someone else. He'll always be my best friend. That's why I was so mad at what he was doing with his life.

I partially blamed myself for the whole street gang thing. I wasn't there to hit him on the head and set him straight. Then I got angry. Yes, I wasn't there, but Ryosuke was. Where the hell does he get off letting Kei-chan destroy himself like that? Didn't I tell him to take care of Kei-chan? Wasn't it his duty to do so even if I hadn't said anything?

I had worked myself up in such a state that I don't even remember dialing the Takahashi's number in Japan. When it finally dawned onto me what I was doing, it was too late to stop. Takahashi-san had already answered the phone and had called Ryosuke over.

I disguised my voice as best as I could. I told myself that this was all for Kei-chan's benefit. The call had the desired effect. The next time Kei-chan and I spoke he told me about Ryosuke's downhill run and how he wanted to get himself an FD.

There was one downside to hearing Ryosuke's voice again. The three years I spent forgetting about him all became for naught. It hit me then that I still had feelings for him. It was staggering, preposterous and wonderful all at the same time. Right then and there, I gave up fighting it and just accepted it.

I loved him.

Somehow, acknowledging the fact made my life just a bit easier. I graduated from high school and got my shot at Harvard. I finished my course in three years and got accepted to medical school.

I recently got to talk to Kei-chan and he told me about Project D. I already knew that Kei-chan and Ryosuke raced against Taku-chan and lost but I almost laughed when he told me they had recruited Taku-chan. I never told Kei-chan he was my cousin. Let him figure it out on his own. Come to think of it, Taku-chan doesn't know Kei-chan's my best friend either. What were the odds?

Anyway, I asked Kei-chan how everyone was, hoping for a mention of Ryosuke. That was when I found out that Ryosuke only had less than a year left to race. This was bad. I had plans and it all involved claiming that race Ryosuke promised me six years ago.

I made arrangements to take a leave of absence from medical school and they granted me six months. I guess that would be enough. I immediately called Taku-chan and told him to make some room for me at their house.

I was coming home.

* * *

**A/N:** Well that was long. Finally going to start with the main plot. Updates will become a bit slower in coming since I'm going to be really busy with preparations for graduation (yay!) so bear with me. 


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

_Present day, six years later_

"Oi, Takumi!"

Itsuki waved as Takumi got out of the 86. Iketani also caught sight of Takumi and headed to where Itsuki was standing.

"Well, this is a surprise. Don't you have work today?" asked Iketani as Takumi neared them.

"Yeah, I do but I asked to take the day off," answered Takumi.

"Why? Do you have a Project D meeting?" asked Itsuki excitedly.

Takumi shook his head. "No. My cousin's coming home from America today and I was supposed to pick her up at the airport."

Yuuichi overheard Takumi and approached the group. "Miharu's coming home?"

Takumi was slightly surprised. "You know my cousin, Tencho?"

Itsuki and Iketani turned to the manager with interest.

"Of course. Bunta talks about her all the time. She used to babysit you too. Sweet girl, she was. Very pretty. I wondered why she left," Yuuichi replied.

Takumi merely shrugged but Itsuki's and Iketani's curiosity were piqued because of Yuuichi's comments.

"How come I've never met this cousin of yours?" asked Itsuki.

"How old is she? What does she look like?" pressed Iketani.

Takumi backed away slightly from his friends. "Look, I'll just bring her over here after I pick her up."

"Oh, yeah. I thought you were going to the airport. Shouldn't you get moving?" wondered Itsuki.

"As I was saying, I was supposed to pick her up at the airport but she called right before I left and said to just pick her up at the train station. She said she wanted to explore the city and view the sights for a bit since she's been away for a long time," explained Takumi.

"Is she single? Maybe we can set her up with Kenji-senpai," snickered Itsuki.

"Yeah, maybe then he'll stop bugging us here and finally get a life," chimed in Iketani.

Takumi coughed lightly in response. Yuuichi started to shake his head in disapproval.

Iketani sighed. "He's standing right behind us, isn't he."

Itsuki and Iketani both turned to look behind them and saw Kenji with his arms crossed, glaring at both of them.

"You two are unbelievable. I don't see the two of you with girlfriends either, you know," said Kenji.

Itsuki and Iketani laughed uneasily.

"Anyway, what's all this talk about anyway? Who are you setting me up with?" Kenji asked grudgingly.

Takumi scratched his head. "I don't think my cousin would appreciate being set up with anybody."

"Why is she coming home anyway? She's still going to Harvard Medical School, isn't she?" Yuuichi asked.

"Harvard Medical School?" Itsuki, Iketani and Kenji said in unison.

Takumi shrugged. "Miha-chan called me about two weeks ago and said that she had some important business that couldn't be put off any longer. She'll be here for a few months then she's going back to America to finish medical school. I couldn't really ask for more details since she seemed to be in a hurry and she did say we'll talk once she gets here so I left it at that."

"Must be pretty important if she took the time off from Harvard to do it. I hope it's not family related. Did you hear anything from Junko?" inquired Yuuichi.

Takumi shook his head. "I don't think oba-san even knows that she's coming back. I mean, Miha-chan asked if she could stay with us."

"That's strange. I hope it's nothing too serious," replied Yuuichi.

"I'll know when she gets here. Speaking of which, I better get going. I just wanted to stop by and see if you guys wanted to meet her. She's been asking to meet you," said Takumi.

"Yeah, we'll be here when you get back. And remember to put in a good word for Kenji!" said Iketani, earning him a not-so-light punch from Kenji.

Takumi nodded, got into his 86 and drove off.

* * *

_I can't believe I'm here again._

Miharu inhaled deeply as she got off the train. It felt great to be back home again but she couldn't help feeling a bit out of place. After all, she had been gone for six years. A lot has changed and she was unsure of how to handle it. At the same time, she was excited to see and experience everything.

She wondered about the people she'd left behind as well. How was her family? Taku-chan? Kei-chan? Ryosuke? How much have they changed? What did they look like now? Talking to them on the phone isn't the same as being really _there _and she was anxious about meeting all of them again.

But right now, she had to find Taku-chan. She stepped out of the train station and tried to pick him out from the crowd of waiting people and cars.

She spotted the 86 first but she was uncertain that it was the one she was looking for until she spotted the Fujiwara Tofu Shop sign on the driver's side door. She waved her arm as Takumi stepped out of the vehicle.

"Taku-chan!" Miharu called out.

Takumi walked over to where Miharu was. "Miha-chan?" he asked.

Miharu suddenly engulfed Takumi in a tight hug. "Oh my gosh, Taku-chan! I missed you so much! I can't believe how much you've grown. I feel so giddy I just might scream!" she squealed.

Takumi let out a small chuckle and returned the hug briefly. "Speak for yourself, Miha-chan. Where do you get off being taller than I am?"

Miharu let go of Takumi and stepped back a little. "Am I? I think it's just an inch though. But wait, I can't believe that's the first thing you noticed! Aren't you glad to see me?"

Takumi laughed then. "Of course I am. Come on, let's get your things in the car then we can talk."

Miharu glanced at the 86 and said, "That carbon hood sure looks great. I wouldn't have recognized the 86 if it wasn't for the tofu shop sign. Kinda makes the car look a bit meaner. Oji-san changed the engine, right? After your Akagi run?"

Takumi nodded as he loaded Miharu's bags in the trunk. "Yeah. It's a lot faster than before. And the carbon hood and headlight covers were Ryosuke-san's idea. You remember I told you about him, he's the leader of Project D."

Miharu smiled. "I remember. But we'll talk more on that later. I want to meet those friends of yours at the gas station."

Takumi and Miharu got inside the car and left.

* * *

"Miha-chan, these are my friends Itsuki, Iketani-senpai and Kenji-senpai. Guys, this is my cousin, Miharu," Takumi said as he pointed to each of his friends.

Miharu bowed and said, "It's a pleasure. I've heard so much about you from Taku-chan."

Itsuki, Iketani and Kenji all stared at Miharu with jaws dropped and eyes wide open.

Yuuichi spotted Miharu and called out, "Miharu-chan!"

Miharu turned around. "Yuuichi oji-san?"

Miharu laughed when she saw the manager and ran towards him. She immediately hugged him and started talking to him. Itsuki, Iketani and Kenji took this opportunity to pull Takumi aside.

"OK, spill it, Takumi. She's not really your cousin, is she? She's too beautiful to be your cousin," growled Iketani.

"How come you've been hiding her from us?" Kenji asked.

Itsuki just kept on nodding in agreement.

"I haven't been hiding her, Kenji-senpai. Like I said, she's been in America for the last six years. And yes, she really is my cousin. How can you say something like that, Iketani-senpai?" grumbled Takumi.

"But you know," said Itsuki thoughtfully, "I think I've seen her somewhere before. She looks familiar."

"Haven't you been listening, Itsuki?" asked Iketani impatiently. "Miharu has been away for six years. How can you have seen her?"

"I know that," replied Itsuki defensively. "But she really does look familiar."

"Maybe she looks like the subject of one of your, ahem, nighttime ventures?" joked Kenji.

Takumi choked out, "Kenji-senpai, this is my cousin we're talking about!"

They laughed as a furious Itsuki chased after Kenji.

* * *

Later that evening, Takumi and Miharu sat across from each other in a small restaurant. They had just finished ordering dinner and Takumi eyed his cousin speculatively.

"OK, Miha-chan. Now that we're alone I want you to tell me what this is all about. Why'd you suddenly decide to come home?" he asked.

"What makes you think something's up? Maybe I just wanted to come see you guys," replied Miharu with a cheeky grin.

Takumi raised his eyebrow. "Oh, come on. We both know you wouldn't just pop back here without reason. And you already mentioned something about some unfinished business that couldn't wait."

"Oh fine. I never could hide anything from you," pouted Miharu.

Takumi chuckled. "I just know you too well."

Miharu let out a sigh and said, "OK. I need your help with something but first I have to ask you if you remember the reason why I left in the first place."

Takumi furrowed his brow in thought. "Of course I remember. But what does that have to do with anything?"

Miharu rolled her eyes. "Try to think about it and tell me what you remember."

"You left because the guy you were in love with turned you down. Wait, don't tell me you're back because of that guy. You're still in love with him?"

"More importantly, I want you to try to recall the name of the guy."

Takumi shook his head. "Miha-chan, that was six years ago. And we never talked about him again after you left."

"Taku-chan, it's Ryosuke."

Takumi's eyes widened. "Hold on. You're not saying…"

Miharu nodded. "I am. It's Ryosuke Takahashi."

* * *

**A/N:** Whew, that took a while. Thanks to Kumiko-chan for helping me with this one. I swear, for a while there I was stuck. 


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN**

"So let me get this straight," said Takumi as he leaned back from his chair. "Ryosuke-san, as in _the_ Ryosuke-san who's the leader of Project D, was the guy who broke your heart all those years ago. And Kei-chan, the best friend who's also the brother of the guy you were in love with, is actually Keisuke-san, the uphill ace of Project D."

"Basically, yes."

"And the reason why you chose to stay with me and that baka oyaji is because you live next door to Ryosuke-san and Keisuke-san and you don't want them to find out yet that you're back."

"Mm-hmm."

"You're still in love with Ryosuke-san and you recently found out from Keisuke-san that Ryosuke-san is giving up racing after this year is over."

"Yes."

"So you came back because you plan to make Ryosuke-san fulfill his promise to race you."

"Right."

"But Miha-chan, I don't get it. Why?"

Miharu sighed. "Taku-chan, it's not something that you have to understand. I just want to race him, that's all."

"No, I don't believe that. I may not be as smart as you are but I do know that you're somewhat like Ryosuke-san in the way you think. You're planning something. I want to know what it is," said Takumi empathically.

Miharu had to laugh then. "You know, I can't believe you can still see through me even after all these years. Am I really that predictable?"

"No, it's just that we're too close to each other for you to be able to hide anything from me. Even after all these years. And I think you're the same with me. You didn't really think I'd just let this go like that, did you?"

"No, I suppose not."

Takumi looked carefully at Miharu. "OK, if you're not ready to tell me then you don't have to. But I'm going to assume that whatever it is you're planning requires that you defeat Ryosuke-san. Do you really think you'll be able to do that? Have you even seen him drive?"

"No, I can't say I have. I left before he had gotten his FC," said Miharu wistfully.

"I'm warning you, Miha-chan. He's good. I mean, superbly good. He even has all the smarts to back it all up. I should know, I've raced against him, I've ridden shotgun with him and he's currently the leader of Project D. He's never wrong with those simulations of his. Do you think you can go against someone like that?"

"Take me to Akina," Miharu said suddenly.

Surprised and more than a little confused at the abrupt change in topic, Takumi sighed but relented. "OK. But you better have a good explanation for all of this. I'm starting to get a headache."

Miharu giggled. "Don't I always?"

"Give me a headache? Yes," grumbled Takumi, deliberately misinterpreting Miharu's reply.

Miharu lightly socked Takumi's shoulder and the two laughed as they left for Akina.

* * *

Miharu was quiet as Takumi drove up Akina. Takumi kept glancing at his cousin, checking to see if she was all right but unwilling to break her concentration. And he could see that she was absorbed on something. Her gaze was fixed on the road ahead, as if she was afraid she'd miss anything.

Takumi drove as smoothly and as normally as possible, giving Miharu the chance to look for whatever it was she was looking for. They reached the peak a few minutes later. Takumi parked the 86 and shut the engine off. He turned to Miharu, waiting for her to start talking.

"Akina hasn't changed much, has it," said Miharu thoughtfully.

"Not really. It's pretty much the same as it's always been," said Takumi.

Miharu turned to face Takumi and looked directly into his eyes. "Taku-chan, I know oji-san already gave you this car but will you let me drive?"

Takumi was a bit taken aback by the request. It dawned onto him that, come to think of it, he'd never actually seen Miharu drive at all before. When they were younger, Miharu made the deliveries to Akina at the same hour that he does so now and during that time he had always been asleep.

He looked back at his cousin with renewed interest and a whole lot of curiosity. He began to piece together some details he never thought to connect before. _Now that I think about it, Miha-chan started driving earlier than I did. She did the deliveries for three years before she left. That baka oyaji trusted Miha-chan's driving. Did I just assume that she drove normally? If that baka oyaji was the one who taught her then I highly doubt it. And I remember seeing Miha-chan always talking to that baka oyaji and reading all those books._

"OK. But this car's different from before. It's more difficult to drive," warned Takumi.

"Its got an AE111 engine, right? From the sound, I think it roughly makes about 240-hp. And the VVT-i seems to have been removed. TRD spec, I suppose? Then I should be able to rev it up high, maybe 10000 or 11000 rpm?"

Takumi gaped at her cousin. "How did…did you ask that baka oyaji what he did with the car?"

"No, I haven't spoken to oji-san since last year," said Miharu amusedly.

"Then how did you know?" persisted Takumi.

"It's what I observed from our little drive. Was I wrong?"

Takumi just shook his head. Miharu laughed at Takumi's expression.

"Taku-chan, just because I haven't been here for six years doesn't mean I stopped driving and learning about cars. I was just as involved with racing in America as I was here. I've been driving longer than Ryosuke has too. Doesn't mean I'm better than he is though, that's why I want to show you what I can do. You said it yourself. You've seen him drive, you know how he thinks. Now I want to show you how I drive, how I think. Then you can tell me if I have a chance of beating Ryosuke or not."

"All right. I'll do my best but I can't promise anything too detailed. I've only just started learning about the technical stuff," said Takumi.

They both stepped out of the car and swapped places. Miharu adjusted the seat and mirrors to her preference then peeled off the parking lot without warning. Takumi jumped a little and felt apprehensive as they neared the first corner. As Miharu coolly tackled each corner, Takumi gradually relaxed then became blown away by her driving. She stuck so close to the walls and guardrails that Takumi thought she hit them, but she never did.

His cousin was astounding. Not only did she drive well but she knew every corner, every gutter, and every part of the entire mountain. It's like she'd just driven the course yesterday instead of six years ago.

When they reached the base, Miharu turned off the engine and stared at the steering wheel. She smiled as she ran her hands back and forth over the steering wheel. "This is a good car, Taku-chan. I've always loved driving it and I have so many memories with it. Heck, I learned to drive with it."

Takumi, on the other hand, was still speechless. His mind raced with information. He was startled out of his thoughts when Miharu put her hand on his shoulder and looked at him with concern. "Taku-chan?"

"Miha-chan, that was amazing! It's like I was riding with Ryosuke-san. I can't believe I'm saying this but you have a chance if you race him. But please tell me you're racing on Akina."

Miharu shook her head. "No. I want to race him on Akagi."

"But that's suicide, Miha-chan! That's his home course! The only advantage I probably had over him when I raced him was that I knew the course better than he did. Ryosuke-san on Akagi is like sticking fish in water," exclaimed Takumi.

"There's one thing you're forgetting, Taku-chan."

"What?"

"Akagi is my home course, too."

* * *

Keisuke dialed Miharu's number for the umpteenth time but got the voice mail yet again. Keisuke threw the phone on his bed in disgust and headed to Ryosuke's room.

"Aniki, I'm coming in," he called out from outside the door.

Keisuke opened the door and found his older brother, predictably enough, sitting on his desk in front of the computer, typing away. Keisuke went inside, closed the door then flopped back on Ryosuke's bed.

"Something bothering you, Keisuke?" asked Ryosuke without looking away from the computer.

"I'm just irritated with a friend of mine whom I've been trying to contact for the past week," replied Keisuke vaguely.

"Hmm," said Ryosuke. _It's probably Miharu. It's almost funny how Keisuke dances around the topic of his best friend with me. It's been six years._

"I just want to talk to her, that's all. I've been missing her more and more lately," mumbled Keisuke.

"She's probably just busy, Keisuke. Harvard Medical School isn't exactly a walk in the park," remarked Ryosuke calmly.

Keisuke sat up in astonishment. Ryosuke allowed a small laugh to escape him and said, "You know, it's OK to talk about Miharu with me. That is unless you're still upset with me because of what happened six years ago."

Keisuke sighed and lay back down on the bed. "Of course not. I never blamed you for anything. You both made your choices and I just got stuck somewhere in the middle of it, that's all. It's just that I still miss her so badly sometimes."

"Well, she _is_ still your best friend so that's normal."

"I've been trying to call her for a week now and her phone's off. I mean, it's never off. And we try to talk to each other at least once a week."

"You're worrying too much, Keisuke. I'm sure she's fine. Like I said, she's probably just busy."

"Yeah, I guess so. But Aniki, how'd you know she went to Harvard?" asked Keisuke.

"It's a pretty big deal, isn't it? Mom and Dad have been telling me about her. They're even asking why I didn't choose to go there myself," said Ryosuke nonchalantly.

"I guess it can't be helped. I mean, they are best friends with the Watanabes."

Ryosuke simply shrugged. Keisuke then remembered something he wanted to discuss with his brother.

"Say, Aniki, did you ask Fumihiro and the others to accompany me to Akagi tonight? Fumihiro called me a while ago asking me what time we'd meet."

Ryosuke nodded. "Yes, I wanted to talk to you about that. I'm trying out a new brand of tires for your car and I want you to test them out on Akagi for a few days. I want to check on the quality and grip and also the wear patterns. I got several sets of different types so it might take you two to three weeks or so."

"All right, I guess I should get ready then," said Keisuke as he stood up. As he neared the door, he hesitated. Ryosuke sensed his brother's indecision and asked, "What is it, Keisuke?"

"Aniki, I hope you don't mind me asking but what happened between you and Miha-chan six years ago? I never really found out what was said or done that made Miha-chan just pack up and leave."

Ryosuke's fingers froze on the keyboard. _So Keisuke doesn't know. Miharu didn't tell him anything._

"It's a pretty long story, Keisuke. And it happened six years ago so the details are a bit fuzzy. Plus I need to finish this report for my class. Let's talk about it some other time when my head is clearer," said Ryosuke stoically.

Keisuke nodded understandingly then left the room. When he was sure Keisuke was gone, Ryosuke leaned back on his chair and sighed. In truth, everything that happened was as fresh on his mind as if it had happened only yesterday. But he strongly believed that he had gotten past it emotionally years ago. He would even go so far as to say that it was all a phase and Miharu was probably over it too. Perhaps if Miharu decides to come back they could be friends again.

Even as he thought this way, he reinforced the wall he'd built around his heart. Just to be sure.

* * *

**A/N:** Not really sure about the car details, as always. Remember, I know next to nothing about them. Heh. Any corrections will be welcomed. Thanks again to Kumiko-chan for helping me get my ideas together. 


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Takumi thought about all the implications of what Miharu had said. How could he be so clueless? She lived next door to the Takahashi family, didn't she? Of _course_ it would stand to reason that since the Takahashi brothers' home course is Akagi, then Miharu's would also be Akagi.

He looked at the driving form of his cousin. They were headed home now and Miharu was chatting away but he wasn't listening to any of it. Something else was bothering him but he didn't know how to ask her about it. Deciding there wasn't a subtler way to phrase the question, he just blurted it out.

"Miha-chan, why did you come back for Ryosuke-san? I mean, he rejected you all those years ago. Aren't you just setting yourself up for the fall again?"

This silenced Miharu. What Takumi said was true. She'd even asked herself the same questions before. She loved Ryosuke, yes, she'd known that for a long time now. That still doesn't justify anything. She could just quietly love him for the rest of her life and accept that there just wasn't any room for her in his heart. She could even love him, let go and move on. So why was she shaking things up?

"When I left," began Miharu slowly, "I was acting on a purely emotional level. I didn't really think at all. I just clammed up and wallowed in misery and self-pity. The only thought in my mind was that I had to get away. I had to forget."

Miharu paused. Takumi anxiously waited for her to continue.

"For almost three years that's all I tried to do. I buried myself in schoolwork. I shut myself in my dorm room and didn't socialize. I got a part-time job. I raced on the street. I raced on the track. I immersed myself in so many things just to get my mind and my heart to put everything behind me."

"But it didn't work, did it," said Takumi.

Miharu gave Takumi a small smile. "For a while, it did, actually. But then something happened to Kei-chan."

"To Keisuke-san? Did he have an accident?"

"You could say that. He was in such a bad way I even thought about coming back just to set him straight. But then I thought, where was Ryosuke while all of this was happening to his brother? Then before I realized it I was talking to him. Of course, he didn't know it was me he was talking to. But I knew. It was at that moment when all the walls I had built, all the effort I had made to forget him, just crumbled around me."

Miharu stopped the car and Takumi became aware that they had reached home already. Miharu parked the 86 then shut off the engine but didn't make any move to get out so Takumi also stayed inside.

"After I had accepted that I still loved him," continued Miharu, "I began to think about what happened objectively. I recalled all the things that Ryosuke and I did together, from the talks we had to those trips at the coffee shop. I was looking for closure, to not forget but to just let go and live the rest of my life. Then I recalled the kiss."

"Kiss?" Takumi gaped at his cousin. "Wait, you _kissed_ Ryosuke-san?"

Miharu laughed heartily at Takumi's stunned expression. "Why is that so weird?"

"I dunno I guess I just never pictured him outside of anything but cars and computers," mumbled Takumi, "but go on, this is getting interesting."

Miharu's laugh softened to a chuckle then said, "As I was saying, I recalled the kiss Ryosuke gave me before I left. Oh, Taku-chan, I don't want to embarrass you with the details but it was mind-blowing. Then it hit me. It wasn't a kiss you can give to someone you don't like even a little bit. I may be grasping at straws, Taku-chan, but I'm holding on just because of that one kiss. Call me crazy but I think that kiss showed the real Ryosuke, his real feelings."

"And what if he still decides that he doesn't want to have a relationship? Will you run away again?"

Miharu shook her head. "No, there's nothing to run away from anymore. I'll still go back to Harvard and finish medical school then I'm coming back here. I belong here, Taku-chan."

Takumi pulled Miharu close and hugged her as tightly as the bucket seats would allow him to. "Don't just be saying that, Miha-chan. Make sure that this time you really are prepared for anything that might happen."

"I'm sure, Taku-chan. It was stupid of me to leave in the first place. I don't want to be apart from you or Kei-chan anymore. And Ryosuke…I'll just have to respect his feelings, won't I? There's no shame in loving him and I'm tired of denying it."

"I'll help you whenever I can, Miha-chan. Hang on, does Keisuke-san or Ryosuke-san know that I'm your cousin?" asked Takumi.

"It's funny but no. Kei-chan only knows you as Taku-chan. And I don't think I ever mentioned you to Ryosuke."

"I wonder how they'll react when they find out, especially Keisuke-san since he's your best friend and all. When are you planning to let them know you're back anyway?"

"Soon. First, I need a car."

* * *

"Bunta oji-san!" squealed Miharu upon seeing her uncle.

Bunta looked up from his newspaper just as Miharu tackled him. He laughed and hugged his niece. Takumi shook his head as he watched them then went back outside to unload Miharu's bags.

"How've you been, Miharu-chan? Look at how you've grown!" exclaimed Bunta.

"I missed you so much, oji-san! I never forgot everything you taught me."

"So you kept driving?"

"Of course! Didn't have much chance to drift since there weren't any mountains where I was but I raced on the street, track, even did some gymkhana. I drove like crazy and practiced every chance I got."

"Good to know. Been to Akina yet?"

"You know it. Oji-san, Taku-chan's 86 is incredible!" gushed Miharu.

"So you drove? How was it?" asked Bunta.

"Great! I love the new engine. Wherever did you find a gem like that?"

"From Masashi, of course. You know how it is with us."

"About that, oji-san. I was wondering if you could help me get a car."

"Just tell me what you want and I'll ask Masashi right away. What did you drive in America anyway?"

"A red RX-8. RE Amemiya tuned, of course," replied Miharu.

"Not too bad. You want to get the same car then?"

Miharu shook her head. "I was thinking about getting a 4WD. I saw that Impreza of yours parked outside. Taku-chan mentioned that you just recently bought it."

"Yes. I'm making him alternate between using the Impreza and the 86 when doing the deliveries. It's kind of like you alternating between your mom's Evo III and the 86. What car did you have in mind?"

"Well, I've been wanting the 2005 Impreza. Preferably the STi model, black with manual transmission. And I want Masashi oji-san to tune it to around 300 to 350-hp for touge. It would definitely need some serious weight reduction too so I was thinking of getting the C-WEST body kit."

"Any particular preference for the aftermarket parts?"

"I'd like Cusco for the coilovers and the roll cage. Maybe a pair of Bride seats. I need the car to still be street tuned because I'll be using it to get around so the air conditioner is a must."

Bunta rubbed his chin thoughtfully and considered all that Miharu was asking. "It's a tall order but it can be done. How soon do you need it?"

"Is a week enough time?"

"That soon? Then we need to get started right away. I'll call Masashi and have him look for the car. In the meantime, you go shopping for the parts you'll be using. You still know how to tune cars, don't you?"

Miharu laughed. "Of course. I did most of the work on my RX-8."

"Good. Because if you need the car in a week's time, you'll have to work with Masashi on your car. I'll help out too, of course."

Miharu gave her uncle a peck on his cheek. "You're the best, oji-san."

"You did ask your mom's permission, right? This is going to cost quite a lot, Miharu-chan," warned Bunta.

Miharu waved her hand dismissively. "It's not a problem. I'm using the money I earned so you don't have to worry about a thing. Besides, mom and dad don't even know I'm here yet."

Bunta cast a surprised but amused look at his niece. "What are you up to, young lady?"

Miharu giggled. "Don't worry, oji-san. I'll tell them soon enough. Just trust me, OK?"

"I always have, Miharu-chan."

* * *

"You seem out of it, Keisuke," commented Fumihiro.

Keisuke turned to the man beside him distractedly. Realizing that he had indeed been spacing out, Keisuke ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Sorry about that, Fumihiro. I just can't seem to concentrate tonight."

Fumihiro looked curiously at Keisuke. "Anything wrong?"

Keisuke seemed to hesitate. A week had passed since Ryosuke had asked them to test out the tires he bought on Akagi and they still weren't finished. He glanced at Kenta and his mechanic who were changing the tires on his FD then fixed his gaze back to Fumihiro.

"Let's take a walk," Keisuke said, angling his head in the opposite direction of where the FD was parked.

Fumihiro nodded, more than a little worried. After all, even if Keisuke was the more outgoing between the two brothers he still kept mostly to himself and didn't talk much about personal matters with just anyone.

When they had gained a significant distance from the others, Keisuke said, "I hope you don't mind me talking to you about my problems, Fumihiro. It's just that I don't have anyone else to talk to about this."

"I don't mind in the least, Keisuke," assured Fumihiro. "I'd be happy to help you with whatever's troubling you."

"Its not so much that I need any help," said Keisuke undecidedly, "more of I need a different point of view on something."

"What is it then?"

"You have to promise not to say anything to anyone, especially Aniki, since this mostly concerns him," cautioned Keisuke.

"Ryosuke? I promise. Did you two have a fight or something?" asked Fumihiro agitatedly.

Keisuke laughed. "No, no. This happened years ago and not too many people know about it but I've been thinking about it lately."

"OK, start from the beginning."

"Well, there was this girl who used to live next door to us," began Keisuke, "and the minute I laid eyes on her I knew she'd be my best friend for the rest of my life."

Fumihiro was surprised at Keisuke's words. He'd never seen either Ryosuke or Keisuke with anyone else. Granted there had been an occasional girlfriend or two but no one really close to them.

"I met her when I was seven and she's the same age as I am. Aniki was nine at the time. It was so funny back then and I always used to tease her about it but the moment she saw Aniki she had this huge crush on him. I guess you could call it love at first sight but she always denied loving him even when we entered junior high. I always saw that time as the turning point in their relationship."

"A turning point? You mean, she became Ryosuke's girlfriend?"

"Far from it. But it was at that point when I realized that Miha-chan's feelings wasn't one-sided after all."

"Her name's Miha-chan?" asked Fumihiro dumbly, a bit shocked at what he was hearing.

Keisuke laughed again. "Are you just going to repeat everything I say?"

"Sorry, I've just never seen this side of you and Ryosuke before. Please continue," replied Fumihiro while shaking his head, trying to maintain focus.

"Anyway, Miha-chan and I started pretending we were going out when we reached junior high so we would avoid unwanted attention from other people. Miha-chan's a very pretty girl so guys were always asking her out back then. When Aniki found out that we were going out he looked ready to kill me. That's when it hit me. Aniki liked Miha-chan but he was as much in denial about it as she was."

That was something Fumihiro could imagine. Ryosuke wasn't the type to show his emotions freely, especially over a girl.

"They started to become closer to each other when they found out that they both liked cars. I thought that they would finally get together then but when Miha-chan confessed her feelings to Aniki, he rejected her. I was so sure he would jump at the chance that's why I couldn't believe it when Miha-chan told me he didn't want her. She was so broken up about it that she left Japan without saying anything to anyone. That was six years ago," finished Keisuke.

Fumihiro digested all of the things Keisuke had told him but he was still confused, "What is it you wanted my opinion on then?"

"I've never really thought about why, Fumihiro. I was too depressed back then because Miha-chan left and then I became so busy with driving and Project D that it never occurred to me to ask. I'm sure Aniki liked her too but why did he turn her down?"

"Why ask now?"

"I don't know. I suppose it's partly because I haven't spoken to Miha-chan in almost two weeks. We've never let that much time pass without a phone call before. She's practically the only thing in my mind right now it's driving me crazy."

Fumihiro smiled as Keisuke absently kicked on a stone lying on the ground. Who knew there was a girl who could get under the skins of the Takahashi brothers?

"I can't say anything definite since I don't know Miha-chan at all and I can only guess at what Ryosuke feels. My take on it is that maybe Ryosuke was intimidated by her," said Fumihiro.

"How do you figure?" asked Keisuke.

"Well, Ryosuke's a pretty rational guy. He uses his brain to justify everything he sees around him in a logical way. But love isn't supposed to be logical. It isn't a science you can just explain away and I think that scared him," clarified Fumihiro.

"I never thought about it that way," said Keisuke contemplatively.

"She sounds like a great girl, though. Now I want to meet her."

"Yeah. I sure wish she'd come back," grumbled Keisuke.

* * *

Meanwhile on Akina's peak, Masashi and Bunta stood beside each other and waited for the black GDB to approach them.

"How was it, Miharu-chan?" asked Bunta.

"It's wonderful!" said Miharu gleefully. "Its power is balanced on both uphill and downhill. However, I want the rear to swing out a bit more when I'm entering a corner. And let's raise the ride height a bit because it's way too low for me to slip the tires into the gutters."

"That should be easy. Anything else?" inquired Masashi.

"I think that should be it. I can't wait to try it on Akagi."

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I highly appreciate all the comments and constructive criticisms. I'll do my best to take into account all of your suggestions. Special thanks to Bop for all the help with the car stuff. Hope I got it right. 


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

"Whoa, check out the GDB, Iketani-senpai!" exclaimed Itsuki.

Iketani and Kenji looked up from their conversation just as the said GDB pulled up next to one of the gas pumps.

"Wow, that _is_ awesome!" said Iketani. "You don't see a lot of those around here."

Yuuichi chose that moment to step out of his office. He eyed the GDB that the three were gawking at then his eyes brightened with recognition.

"Hey, Miharu-chan!" he called out.

"Miharu?" the three boys said in unison.

Miharu stepped out from the car and waved at them. "Hey, guys! Yuuichi oji-san, I'd like a full tank of high octane, please."

Yuuichi looked sharply at his two employees. "You two! Don't just stand there! Get moving!"

Iketani and Itsuki snapped back to attention. They both hurried over to Miharu's car and started to fill its tank with gasoline. Just then, Takumi's 86 arrived and parked behind Kenji's 180SX.

"Hey, Takumi," greeted Kenji as Takumi made his way over to him. "We were just drooling over Miharu's car."

Takumi glanced at his cousin who was deep in conversation with Yuuichi. Iketani and Itsuki walked over to them, having just finished attending to Miharu's car.

"That car is sweet!" said Iketani.

"Yeah. I wish I could see it run on Akina," added Itsuki.

Iketani snapped his gaze on Takumi. "Wait. Don't tell me. Is she a street racer too?"

Before Takumi could answer Iketani, Miharu skipped towards them.

"Oh my gosh, I feel so excited I can hardly sit still!" she said.

"Why is that, Miharu?" asked Kenji.

"Well who wouldn't be? My car's all finished! Bunta oji-san, Masashi oji-san and I have been working nonstop on it the entire week and a half since I arrived. And now that it's all done, I'm going to Akagi tonight."

"Akagi? You mean Mt. Akagi?" asked Itsuki incredulously.

Miharu gave Itsuki an amused smile. "I don't think there are any other Akagis around, Itsuki."

Kenji, Iketani and Itsuki cast each other looks of worry. Takumi folded his arms over his chest, the corners of his lips twitching. Miharu checked her watch and said, "Oh, I didn't realize it was this late already. I better get going. See you at home, Taku-chan. Bye guys!"

Miharu kissed Takumi on the cheek, waved again to the others then ran to her car and sped off.

"Oi, Takumi, why don't you stop her? You don't know what will happen to her in Akagi!" said Itsuki.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about her," said Takumi breezily.

Iketani eyed Takumi speculatively, "All right. How good is she?"

Itsuki and Kenji gaped as they thought about what Iketani was insinuating.

Takumi smiled. "Good enough to massacre me on Akagi. It _is_ her home course, after all."

"She's good enough to beat _you_? And Akagi's her home course?" asked Kenji in amazement.

"Figures," grumbled Itsuki. "Doesn't anyone from your family drive normally?"

Takumi chuckled. "Apparently not."

* * *

It was only 9 o'clock in the evening when Miharu reached the base of Mt. Akagi. She drove slowly and, as she had done with Akina, she surveyed the course, taking note of all the things that have changed and those that haven't. She even got out of the car a couple of times to check certain cracks on the road she didn't recall seeing before.

She mentally pictured an image of the Akagi she remembered and compared it to the Akagi she's seeing now, carefully committing each minute detail to memory. She made several trips going both uphill and downhill until she felt that she could drive the mountain with her eyes shut.

_It hasn't really changed all that much. I'm glad. I really love this place_, thought Miharu.

An hour later, she parked her car at the peak of the mountain, reclined her seat and closed her eyes. It was tiring business driving nonstop and at the same time gathering all that information.

_I must be out of shape_, she thought with a yawn. _That's six years without tackling a mountain pass for you. I should talk Taku-chan into letting me do the deliveries while I'm here, just to get my stamina back up._

Without meaning to, she fell asleep.

* * *

_Dammit to hell, Miharu Watanabe! Where are you?_ thought Keisuke as he stomped to his brother's room. He didn't even bother knocking and barged in unannounced.

"Aniki," he declared, "dial my cellphone number and see if it rings. I want to make sure this stupid thing is still working."

Ryosuke glanced up from the thick textbook he was reading with a slightly incensed, mostly amused expression on his face. "I take it you still haven't been able to contact Miharu?"

"It's been two and a half weeks!" said Keisuke in a loud, irritated voice. "Something's definitely wrong here."

"Keisuke," said Ryosuke firmly, "I'm sure if anything's wrong, her parents will let you know."

Keisuke groaned and buried his face on Ryosuke's pillow. He let out a muffled scream of frustration. Ryosuke couldn't help but grin.

"I swear she's going to be the death of me," intoned Keisuke.

Ryosuke shook his head and decided he'd had enough of Keisuke's griping. He turned back to his textbook and said, "How are those tires coming along? Tested all of them yet?"

"We're down to the last three sets. We should finish by tonight," replied Keisuke, checking his watch. "It's ten-thirty. I should get going."

"You do that. Call me when you're done and I'll come up to Akagi to check out the tires."

"Right. Provided that this phone's still working," muttered Keisuke under his breath.

Ryosuke did his best not to laugh as Keisuke left the room whacking the poor cellphone on his palm.

* * *

_A Rotary_, thought Miharu, still half-asleep. _That sounds just like a…_

Miharu opened her eyes with a start. _Dammit! I fell asleep!_

She hurriedly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and checked her watch. Eleven. She'd been asleep for an hour. _That isn't so bad_, she realized with relief.

She blearily reached her hand to the ignition to start the engine of her GDB when she again heard the high-pitched cry of a Rotary engine. _So I wasn't dreaming. Man, you gotta love the sound of a Rotary. Hang on. A Rotary?!_

Miharu frantically looked outside her window and saw a yellow FD and a white van parked several meters from where she was. Two guys were changing the tires on the FD while another stood beside the van, waiting for the driver to come out. She squinted to see the writing on the side of the van.

_PROJECT.D?!_

"Oh, shit!" swore Miharu under her breath. _If the yellow FD's here then that can only mean…_

The driver's side door of the FD opened and Keisuke stepped out.

"Kei-chan!" squeaked Miharu. She quickly covered her mouth even though there was no way they would have heard her.

Miharu's heartbeat quickened. She stared unblinkingly at Keisuke's form, drinking in the sight of him. He was talking to the guy near the van, whom Miharu assumed was Fumihiro, the team's spokesperson and Ryosuke's friend Keisuke had told her about, and was gesturing with his hands to the tires.

_Gosh, I never realized Kei-chan looks so hot!_ thought Miharu hysterically.

Miharu took a deep breath and shook her head. _Focus, Miharu_, she scolded herself mentally. _Don't panic. They obviously haven't seen you yet. Besides, there's no reason to panic. You came back to Japan to see him, didn't you?_

Miharu's hand automatically reached for the door handle. Just when she was about to open the door, she hesitated. _OK, let's stop and think for a second. Sure, I'm anxious to be with Kei-chan again but if I reveal myself now I'm sure he's going to run home and tell Ryosuke. And if Ryosuke finds out I'm here then I'll lose my element of surprise, so to speak. Argh, why is this becoming so complicated?_

While she was arguing with herself, Keisuke screeched out of the parking lot. Miharu stared longingly after the FD, her hand still on the door handle. She knew she missed her best friend but it only dawned onto her now just how desperately she did so. Every time they had spoken on the phone she felt the urge to go back home simply because she missed the comfort she felt when she was with him.

_I may not be able to talk to him right now_, she resolved internally, _but I can at least see for myself how he drives._

She started up the engine of her GDB which gave a low growl as she chased after Keisuke's FD.

* * *

Fumihiro jumped in alarm when the formerly stationary black Impreza zoomed out of the parking lot just a few seconds after Keisuke left. Kenta ran to where Fumihiro was standing and said anxiously, "Fumihiro-san, I think that Impreza is going to engage Keisuke-san in an ambush battle!"

Fumihiro cursed softly, unsure of what he should do. _Should I call Ryosuke? _he wondered.

Suddenly, Kenta started laughing. "That Impreza driver has no idea who he's dealing with. Keisuke-san's going to beat the crap out of him."

Fumihiro looked at Kenta oddly but what he said had a point. This was Keisuke Takahashi, Project D's uphill ace. They had nothing to worry about. Besides, maybe the GDB had somewhere to go to in a hurry and probably had no intention of going after Keisuke anyway. Maybe.

* * *

_Hmm, Kei-chan had a ten second head start. I wonder if I'll be able to catch up,_ reflected Miharu with a smile. She always did love a challenge.

She entered the very first hairpin turn at high speed, swiftly downshifting to second gear. She tackled the corner smoothly, her front bumper practically kissing the guardrail. Upon exiting the corner she accelerated and shifted to third gear, preparing to pitch her car to the right.

_This is fun! Driving on Akagi again is truly exhilarating. I can't believe I lasted so long without it. I really was off my rocker when I gave this up_, she thought elatedly.

She took the succeeding corners the fastest way she knew how: she stuck a hair's breadth away from the guardrails upon hitting the apex while maintaining the highest speed possible. Her efforts paid off when she caught sight of the FD's rear a few meters ahead of her just before she cleared the tricky first section of the mountain pass.

_Ah, there he is. Hmm, now that I've caught up, I wonder if I'll be able to pass him._ Miharu grinned widely before shaking her head. _This isn't a battle, Miharu. You just wanted to see how Kei-chan drove so no funny stuff!_

Miharu increased her pace, wanting to close the distance to about five feet between them so she could get a better look at Keisuke's driving.

Keisuke, however, had different ideas.

* * *

**A/N:** Cliffy! I'm so evil. Thanks again to everyone for your comments and, again, to Bop, my "Automotive and Racing Shit for Dummies". 


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Keisuke had noticed shortly after he had begun his downhill run that a car had been steadily making its way closer to him. He glanced at his rearview mirror, checking to see its progress and was a bit shocked to see it tailing him.

When he entered the next corner, he saw the GDB perform a drift right beside him.

"Impressive," said Keisuke softly. "That you can make that GDB swing out like that means you must be good. I'd been planning to just let you pass through but now I want to see how good you really are."

Keisuke stepped fully on the accelerator, intending to run away from the other car. The GDB's driver wasn't about to let him off that easily and matched his speed turn for turn.

"Call me crazy or arrogant or whatever but you're the perfect tool to take my frustration out on. This is my home course. There's no way you can overtake me!" muttered Keisuke.

Keisuke clenched his teeth as they neared the tightest turn in Akagi, the right hairpin that very much looks like a V. He veered slightly to the right, preparing to slide his car all the way from the right turn before the V-turn to the V-turn itself. That was his mistake. The GDB saw it as an opening and squeezed itself on the inside, diving into the drift side by side with Keisuke.

"Are you crazy?" yelled Keisuke.

Both cars exited the corner, the GDB having a fender-length advantage. The next left turn allowed Keisuke to regain an equal footing since he was on the inside this time but it was short-lived. The succeeding right turn once again gave the GDB the advantage.

When they exited the corner, the GDB immediately sped up. The short straightaway before the next left hairpin turn gave the GDB a half-car's lead.

"Shit! He's going to dive in!" Keisuke exclaimed. He tried to prevent this from happening by braking late but the opponent did the same. The GDB jumped on the inside, making full use of its 4WD system and effectively blocking Keisuke's line.

Keisuke had been passed. On his home course, even! He couldn't believe it. "You're not getting away that easily!" said Keisuke determinedly.

But the GDB driver never gave him a chance, sticking so close to the guardrails and often taking the turns faster than he did. They crossed the finish line tail-to-nose. Keisuke screeched to a stop and leapt out of the FD, intending to find out who the driver was but the GDB didn't stop and left. Keisuke stared after it until it was out of sight

_Who the fuck are you?!_ growled Keisuke internally. He fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed his brother's number.

* * *

_Idiot, idiot, idiot!_

Miharu cursed her stupidity. Hadn't she said she would just watch him? So what the hell was she thinking when she overtook him? Miharu then cursed her family. After all, she had the Fujiwara blood running through her veins and being a Fujiwara meant hating to lose.

Miharu parked in front of her uncle's tofu shop and headed inside. She saw her cousin just as he was putting the phone down. Before she could greet him, Takumi cut her off.

"What the heck did you do, Miha-chan? Ryosuke-san just called me and scheduled a meeting for tomorrow night on Akagi. He sounded upset."

Miharu burst out laughing. "That's Kei-chan for you. Not an hour after I passed him on Akagi and everyone knows."

"You _passed_ him? Miha-chan, I thought you were just going to survey the course!" said Takumi in disbelief.

"I was!" Miharu said defensively. "He started it!"

Takumi raised his eyebrow dubiously. "Explain to me what happened."

"Well," replied Miharu tentatively, "I wanted to see how good Kei-chan was so I chased after him. But I wasn't intending to start a race! I just wanted to watch him, that's all. But he sped up so I sped up too and things got kinda out of hand after that."

Miharu scratched her head sheepishly while Takumi did his best to hold back his laughter.

"So what now?" asked Takumi. "Ryosuke-san is bound to find out that the GDB who passed Keisuke-san came from here."

"Pre-emptive strike," said Miharu suddenly.

"Huh?" replied Takumi in confusion.

"It may be sooner than I thought but this is probably the best chance I have."

"Miha-chan, what in heaven's name are you talking about?"

"Don't worry, Taku-chan. I'll handle everything. I'm off to bed," chirped Miharu. She ran up the stairs, leaving Takumi shaking his head.

_It's official. My cousin is a kook._

* * *

Takumi had to take the early shift at work so he could attend the Project D meeting. When Miharu volunteered to do the delivery for him, he gladly agreed. He figured Miharu would use her Impreza so he was surprised to find his car missing when he got up.

"Oyaji, where's Miha-chan?" asked Takumi.

Bunta shrugged. "Probably with her mom. Junko called early this morning in a panic saying that Miharu wasn't at Harvard so I told her that that her daughter had been staying here."

"And she took the 86?"

"Yeah, I guess she was in too much of a hurry to placate her mom so she left as soon as I told her about it."

"Right. Well, I'll be going now."

Takumi left the shop and headed to work.

* * *

_Sorry, Taku-chan but I'm taking your car for a while_, thought Miharu resolutely.

While it was true that she'd gone to see her mother, that particular errand only took her a couple of hours to complete. She was glad for an excuse to take Takumi's car, which she had been planning to do in the first place anyway. She prayed that her cousin wouldn't be too mad at her for involving him unwittingly in her scheme.

Melodramatic that she was, she wanted a grand entrance. Oh yes, she planned to crash in on the Project D meeting. By tonight, she would be with Keisuke again.

And, if all went according to plan, she would be battling Ryosuke.

* * *

"Tell me again what it looked like," said Ryosuke calmly.

Keisuke paced back and forth in Ryosuke's room. "It was black. With Gunma plates. It had a C-WEST body kit. Aniki, I don't know anyone who drives something like that."

Neither did he, Ryosuke realized. But from Keisuke's description of last night's pseudo battle, only someone whose home course is Akagi would be able to pass Keisuke that way. Either that or the driver had a few lug nuts missing from his head.

The precision required to use the V-turn as an attack point was something that Ryosuke expected to see in Project D's drivers. They were, after all, supposed to be the best in the Gunma area. To think that this mysterious driver would possess such skills, Ryosuke wondered why the GDB had been virtually unknown until now.

"Come on, Keisuke. Let's get going. We'll find out who the driver is then you can challenge it to a proper battle if you want," said Ryosuke coolly.

"Damn straight,' muttered Keisuke as he followed Ryosuke out.

* * *

Takumi stared blankly at the empty parking space of his 86. He had just arrived from work, fully expecting to see his car parked where it should be but instead no one was home. Even his dad's Impreza wasn't there.

He went inside the house and checked the time. He only had an hour to go before the meeting started and he still had to travel to Akagi. He saw the key to Miharu's GDB hanging innocently from the key rack.

Takumi swore and growled, "I swear to God I hope you know what you're doing, Miha-chan."

He snatched the key to the GDB and slammed the door.

* * *

Hiroshi Fumihiro was generally a worrywart. So when Keisuke called him from the base of Akagi last night and said that Ryosuke wanted him to come home right away, he worried.

He glanced at Ryosuke and Keisuke who were talking quietly a short distance away. He spoke to the man standing to his right without looking away, "You have any idea what this is about, Matsumoto?"

Shuichi Matsumoto, Takumi's mechanic, shook his head. "No. I was hoping Ryosuke-san already told you something."

Ryosuke and Keisuke seemed to have finished their conversation and approached the group. Ryosuke glanced at his watch and said, "Fujiwara's a little late but he should be arriving any moment now so let's get started. Last night, a black GDB overtook Keisuke on the downhill."

A shocked silence fell over the group. Keisuke stood beside his brother with his arms crossed and eyes blazing.

Kenta Nakamura shouted disbelievingly, "That's absurd! How could that have happened?"

Ryosuke turned to Fumihiro and asked, "Fumihiro, did you see any other car here last night besides the Impreza? Anyone who might have seen what happened?"

Fumihiro shook his head. "No, aside from the GDB we were the only ones here."

Ryosuke nodded with approval, "Good. Because if word of this gets out, Project D is in trouble. Now I want you all to think hard and try to remember if you recall seeing this GDB before. It's black with a C-WEST body kit according to Keisuke."

Matsumoto pointed behind Ryosuke, "You mean something like that?"

Keisuke swiftly turned around and, sure enough, the same black GDB he had seen last night was parking right beside Ryosuke's FC. Ryosuke immediately began analyzing the car by listening to the engine sound. Keisuke, being the hothead that he is, sprinted to the car. The others followed behind him while Ryosuke walked at a more leisurely pace.

The driver's side door opened and Keisuke held his breath in anticipation. A second blanket of stunned silence surrounded the group when the driver stepped out.

"Fujiwara?!" snarled Keisuke.

Takumi held up his hands in front of him in defense. "Hang on, Keisuke-san. I know what happened and I can assure you it wasn't me."

"Then who was it? And what are you doing with his car?" barked Keisuke impatiently.

Takumi turned to Ryosuke as if asking for approval. Ryosuke gave a slight nod of his head, signaling for Takumi to continue.

"This is my cousin's car," began Takumi.

"And where is this cousin of yours now?" shouted Keisuke.

"Keisuke," reprimanded Ryosuke, "let him finish."

Keisuke sulked but did as he was told. Takumi continued, "Last night, my cousin told me all about passing you here on Akagi. I couldn't believe it since she told me she was just going to check out the course. Now this morning she disappeared with my 86 and I have no idea where she is so I took her car to get here."

"Wait a minute. Did you just say 'she'?" asked Fumihiro.

From a distance, they heard the rumble of a high-rev engine.

"My 86!" Takumi cried out.

As if on cue, the group turned to the entrance of the parking lot just as Takumi's 86 came into view. Tension filled the group as the 86 parked in front of them.

* * *

Miharu breathed deeply. This was it. Her hands shook as she opened the door and stepped out. She willed her knees to stop trembling as she faced the group, a bright smile on her face.

"Taku-chan, sorry I'm late," she said casually, tossing the key of the 86 to him. He caught it mutely, and Miharu had a feeling she was going to endure a scolding from him later.

Miharu turned to look at the other members of the group. Keisuke was slowly turning purple and she thought that maybe he'd swallowed wrong. True to form, Ryosuke kept his face blank and expressionless. She purposefully strode towards him and stopped when she was standing directly in front of him.

"Miharu," he said, deadpanned.

"Hello, Ryosuke."

* * *

**A/N:** Whew. Glad that's done. As always, reviews and constructive criticisms will be greatly appreciated. 


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

It took all of Ryosuke's willpower to keep his face impassive. He stared at Miharu smiling up at him and he was suddenly flooded with memories of a time years ago when she had given him that same smile. Back then, he had asked her out to coffee.

Now it just messed with his brain.

Ryosuke Takahashi had been rendered speechless. He scrutinized her every feature, and asked God how it was possible for her to have gotten more beautiful than she was before.

If it was her intention to catch him off-guard, she did a damn good job of it. He couldn't believe that even after all these years she still held a certain power over him. He struggled to regain control of himself, fighting the onslaught of feelings threatening to overwhelm him.

He asked flatly, "What are you doing here?"

Miharu laughed. The sound still had the effect of making him want to laugh along with her.

"Six years and that's the first thing you ask me? Don't I even get an introduction?" she said, waving her hand carelessly towards the rest of the group.

Keisuke, seemingly recovered from his shock, stalked over to Miharu and roughly grabbed her shoulders.

"Ow! Kei-chan!" protested Miharu.

"I can't believe it. It really _is_ you!" said Keisuke in awe.

"Yes, I missed you too, Kei-chan. Now, could you let go? You're going to bruise me!"

Keisuke didn't listen and instead engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug. Miharu again laughed and hugged back. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of Keisuke's arms around her.

Almost as abruptly as he had taken hold of her, he released her from the hug but kept his hands on her shoulders and started shouting, "What the hell, Miha-chan? Why didn't you tell me you were back? How long have you been here? Were you the one driving that GDB last night? Dammit!"

Miharu blinked. "Kei-chan, take it easy. I'll explain everything but there's something I need to take care of right now."

She gently wiggled free from Keisuke's grasp and turned back to Ryosuke.

"You owe me a battle, Ryosuke," she said grimly.

* * *

Fumihiro gawked as the scene unfolded in front of him. He gazed at the other members of the group and saw his expression reflected in everyone else's faces except for Takumi's and Ryosuke's.

Matsumoto leaned over to Fumihiro and whispered, "Correct me if I'm wrong. I think I just heard her say that Ryosuke owes her a battle."

Fumihiro simply shook his head, unable to formulate a response.

Kenta burst out, "That's insane! Why would Ryosuke-san owe you a battle? Who are you anyway?"

Miharu turned her amused glance at Kenta. "You must be Kenta Nakamura. I've heard about you from Kei-chan."

That promptly took the wind out of Kenta's sails. He turned red and looked at Keisuke helplessly. Keisuke just shrugged.

Takumi realized it was probably up to him to introduce her so he stood closer to his cousin and said, "Everyone, this is my cousin, Miharu Watanabe. Miha-chan, that's Hiroshi Fumihiro-san, Shuichi Matsumoto-san, Shinji Tomiguchi-san and you already know Kenta-san, Keisuke-san and Ryosuke-san."

Miharu bowed to everyone and greeted them accordingly. She wasn't to be swayed from her objective, however, and cast a meaningful look at Ryosuke.

* * *

"_Promise me something, Ryosuke."_

_Ryosuke cleared his throat and gruffly replied, "If I can."_

"_Promise me you'll become a terrific racer and that you'll race against me someday."_

_Ryosuke saw no harm in that, although he was slightly puzzled by the request. "All right, I promise."_

* * *

So she returned to claim that vow. Ryosuke's eyes met Miharu's. He cleared his throat and everyone looked at him in anticipation.

"I do owe you a race, Miharu. OK, I'll have a battle with you."

Miharu nodded serenely, but inside she was bursting with excitement.

"The key to my car, if you please, Taku-chan. Let's get started."

Ryosuke's brow furrowed. "You mean now?"

Miharu chuckled. "I'm not about to give you time to put together a winning simulation, Ryosuke. Your FC's here anyway so what's the problem?"

Keisuke snatched Miharu's arm and pulled her closer to him. "What do you think you're doing, Miha-chan?" he hissed.

Miharu frowned. "What are you talking about, Kei-chan?"

"Since when did Aniki owe you a race? And dear God, what makes you even _think_ you have a chance of beating him? Just because you've driven the course last night doesn't mean you're an expert!"

"I beat you, didn't I?" she pointed out.

"You got lucky!" Keisuke spat out.

"Look," replied Miharu impatiently, "can we talk about this later? The more time I waste standing here, the bigger the chance I'm giving him to beat me."

"No way, Miha-chan. Not until you beat me in a real battle," retorted Keisuke.

"Are you serious? You're not still hung up on what happened last night, are you?" said Miharu exasperatedly.

Keisuke's eyes narrowed dangerously. _You're not getting out of this that easily. I know you inside out, Miha-chan._

He cast a smirk at his best friend and said patronizingly, "Oh I get it. You're scared you can't do it again. You really _did_ just get lucky."

Miharu froze, her Fujiwara blood beginning to boil. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me. If I hadn't swerved out last night you wouldn't have been able to pass me at all," taunted Keisuke.

Miharu clenched her fists, willing herself not to be baited by Keisuke's words. She was unable to stop herself, however, from saying, "I can beat you anytime, anywhere, Kei-chan. Make no mistake about it."

"Prove it," said Keisuke victoriously, knowing he had her hooked.

"Keisuke," said Ryosuke in a warning tone.

Takumi shook his head and thought, _He's good. He knows exactly which buttons to push. Miha-chan never had a chance._

"You're on," Miharu bit back.

* * *

_Shit. How did it come to this? Dammit, Kei-chan, you totally ruined my plan! _seethed Miharu internally as she sat behind the wheel of her Impreza.

Miharu glanced at the FD pulling up right beside her on the start line. She sighed in defeat. It was more her fault anyway. She couldn't blame Keisuke for wanting a rematch. In fact, she would have asked for the same thing.

_Well, nothing I can do at this point. Right now, I just have to concentrate on my opponent. Best friend or not, this is a battle and I'm not going to lose._

She bent down and gave her steering wheel a kiss, a habit she picked up when she left Japan, and waited for the countdown to begin.

* * *

Ryosuke leaned against his FC and stared intently at the two cars on the start line but he focused his attention more on the black GDB. He watched as several emotions flitted across Miharu's face and then he saw her lean over to kiss her steering wheel. He frowned, wondering why that particular action bothered him so.

Then it suddenly clicked. He straightened and scanned the area for Takumi. "Fujiwara, get in the car."

Takumi turned at the sound of Ryosuke's voice. He jogged over to the FC. "Ryosuke-san? What's wrong?"

"I'll explain later. Get in."

Takumi shrugged but did as he was told. He had just closed the door when the FD and the GDB took off.

"Fasten your seatbelt," said Ryosuke then started driving without even waiting for Takumi to finish snapping the seatbelt on.

Takumi hurriedly clipped the buckle on then looked apprehensively at Ryosuke. He could only think of one other time when Ryosuke had followed after two battling cars and that was when he himself had driven against Takeshi Nakazato's R32. He wondered what Ryosuke was thinking and decided to just come out and ask.

"Umm, Ryosuke-san? Why are we following after them? Is there any particular reason?"

Ryosuke's eyes remained focused on the two cars several meters ahead of them when he asked, "Fujiwara, have you seen how Miharu drives?"

Takumi nodded. "Yes, but only once so far. That was the day she arrived here in Japan a few weeks ago. She had my 86 figured out by just listening to the engine sound and she drove down Akina like she never left. She's really good and I'm not just saying that because she's my cousin."

"Do you know what car she drove in America? Has she told you anything about racing or working with cars while she was abroad?"

Takumi was puzzled with Ryosuke's line of questioning but answered. "I don't recall her saying anything about what she drove and how she was involved with cars when she was there but she did say that she never stopped driving and learning about them."

"So that means she's been driving even before she left Japan?"

"She also did the morning deliveries before. Let's see, I was nine then so that makes her twelve when she started driving."

Ryosuke's brows knit together, realizing that it was around that time when Miharu buried herself in automotive books. _So the whole time she was actually learning how to drive. She's been driving a lot longer than I have too. Interesting. And if my suspicions are correct, she's not just an ordinary street racer._

"Have you heard about the Nurburgring circuit in west Germany?" inquired Ryosuke indifferently.

Takumi seriously didn't know what to make of this conversation but knowing Ryosuke, he wouldn't be asking these questions without an underlying purpose so Takumi did his best to center his thoughts. "I've heard about it."

"It's a 22.8 kilometer long track and a lot of drivers find it to be extremely challenging. Several car manufacturers, in fact, test drive their cars there. One of these car manufacturers is Subaru, who've been testing their cars there since 1992. Now about three years ago, Prodrive, the company responsible for the design and development of the Subaru World Rally Championship cars, worked in collaboration with Subaru's test drivers to make the Impreza's performance better. One of Prodrive's engineers thought that asking someone who wasn't from the Subaru team to test drive a car would lead to more accurate results so he asked a personal friend to drive the car in Nurburgring. What this engineer wasn't prepared for, though, was how amazing a driver his friend turned out to be. Subaru was so amazed that they hired this person to become a test driver for them," related Ryosuke.

Takumi, still rather confused by the flow of their conversation, asked, "I'm sorry, Ryosuke-san, but I still don't get what this has to do with Miha-chan."

Ryosuke had to smile. "I should apologize, I do tend to ramble on. What I was trying to get at, though, is that this particular test driver gave one of the fastest laps an Impreza has ever done around Nurburgring. However the driver does something weird before starting to drive."

"What would that be?"

"_She_," emphasized Ryosuke, "kisses the steering wheel of the car."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update, folks, and thanks to everyone who reviewed! I've been so busy the past few weeks that I hardly had time to write. Shinji Tanaka is a name I thought up for Keisuke's mechanic. I don't think there was ever any mention of what his name really is and I thought it would be weird to just keep calling him "Keisuke's mechanic" so I took the liberty of naming him. If anyone can provide me with his real name I'll change it right away. As always, reviews will be appreciated, flames will be ignored.

**Edit: **Sanae-sama has kindly provided me with the surname of Keisuke's mechanic and I've reposted the chapter with the original author's notes but I've made the necessary changes, although I retained Shinji to be his first name until it's mentioned in the manga or the anime. Thanks, Sanae-sama!


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Keisuke gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep up with the GDB in front of him. It was tough, he had to admit. He had no idea how it happened but Miharu's skills were incredible. What she said was true; she _could_ beat him anytime, anywhere.

Keisuke cursed under his breath. _When was she planning on telling me about any of this? Dammit, this isn't the time to think about it. I'm driving full throttle and she's still pulling away from me!_

He took a quick glance at his rearview mirror and saw his brother's FC following them closely. He grinned. "On another note, Miha-chan sure has Aniki all shaken up. He hasn't watched a race like this since Fujiwara and Nakazato's battle. I wonder what's on his mind."

His grin faded as Miharu's GDB entered the left hairpin signaling the end of the complex first section of Akagi. She took the turn at full speed, widening the gap between their cars. _What the hell? That entry speed was unbelievable. And her exit speed is just insane!_

In Akagi, it's easy to crash your car if you're not careful. The entire pass consists of high-speed corners and straights so drivers tend to speed up, but then you suddenly come to a sharp hairpin turn so it's really hard to determine when to ease up on the gas pedal. Knowing these particular sections is the key to mastering Akagi and for years that was what Keisuke and Ryosuke have been doing.

_But look at this! Miha-chan's been gone six years and I can barely keep up with her! Wherever did she find time to learn the course? She couldn't just have done everything in one night, could she?_

Keisuke shook his head. "Concentrate on the battle, Keisuke. This isn't just for your personal pride; it's also for the pride of Project D. You can't fail!"

* * *

Miharu grimaced when she checked her rearview mirror and glimpsed Ryosuke's FC behind Keisuke's FD. _This is what I was afraid of._

She agonized over what to do. She was sure that by now, Ryosuke had figured out her car's full potential with its current set-up so that advantage was gone. The only thing that she had going for her now was that Ryosuke had never seen her drive before. If she went all out on this battle, Ryosuke would have her completely deciphered.

The reason why she had wanted to battle Ryosuke right away was because it seemed to be the only way she could have won. Admittedly she'd never seen him drive and her only basis for his skills were Takumi's and Keisuke's accounts. She wasn't even sure how accurate they were since those two practically worshipped Ryosuke.

She had originally planned on making a bet with Ryosuke that if she defeated him, he'd go out with her. She gave a small smile, acknowledging how completely dumb that plan had been. Ryosuke probably wouldn't have even agreed to something like that. And what if she had lost?

She'd waited six years for this. She shouldn't ruin everything by rushing into things.

She again glanced at the rearview mirror and was a bit surprised to see that there was a slight gap between her and Keisuke's FD.

She scowled. _What are you doing, Kei-chan? Are you holding back on me?_

She dove into the left hairpin and used it as an opportunity to see how Keisuke took the turn. She took her eyes off the road and set her sights on the yellow FD as it went into the corner.

Keisuke wasn't holding back. She was just faster.

She allowed herself a moment of cockiness. It was normal for her to feel that way, she supposed. She and Keisuke were both competitive by nature and that spirit extended, especially even, towards each other.

_I'm winning against Kei-chan, Project D's uphill ace! _she thought gleefully.

Project D's ace.

Realization emerged and her gloating subsided. She felt her heart wrench painfully.

_Ryosuke…_

She knew what she had to do.

* * *

Keisuke's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he and Miharu came to the section where he had been passed last night. He watched as Miharu entered the V-turn.

_The line she's taking is almost identical to the line Aniki takes when he drives on Akagi. I can't believe it. There's no way I'm going to beat someone who's as good as Aniki._

Keisuke took a deep breath and shook off the dismay he was beginning to feel. _Get it together, Keisuke. You're not Project D's ace for nothing. You can't give up now!_

Keisuke copied Miharu's line as he took the V-turn. Upon exiting the corner, he frowned in uncertainty. Had the gap between their cars gotten shorter? The way she had driven on the V-turn, Keisuke expected the GDB to be entering the left hairpin where he had been passed last night. Instead, it was only just beginning to brake for the turn.

_I must just be imagining things_, he thought.

He soon came to realize that he wasn't just imagining things. He really was catching up.

"What the… is something wrong? I didn't change my pace so it's not something I did," said Keisuke thoughtfully.

He concentrated his attention on the GDB and that's when he noticed that the line Miharu was taking had changed. It wasn't drastic but he could see that she was a few centimeters off the ideal line. He tried to think of a reason for the change but couldn't come up with one.

"I don't get it. Is she's waiting for me? That's too arrogant, even for her!" growled Keisuke.

* * *

Takumi gawked at Ryosuke. "Ryosuke-san, you can't mean that Miha-chan…"

"I wasn't thinking about it until I saw her kiss the steering wheel. That's when I began to piece it together. The Subaru driver's name is Mia Fujiwara," said Ryosuke pensively.

Takumi choked. "Mia Fujiwara?"

Ryosuke let out a small laugh. "Kind of obvious now that I know you two are related."

Takumi shook his head, unable to believe that her cousin was the same driver Ryosuke was talking about. He looked up when Ryosuke spoke again. "If I'm right, and Miharu is indeed Mia, then Keisuke is going to have a hard time with his current level of skill. I'm getting excited again. I'd missed this feeling. She's definitely a worthy opponent and I can't wait to battle her."

The two turned their attention back to the battle. They were nearing the last section of Akagi, just two hairpin turns away from the zigzagging road leading to the final consecutive hairpins. There was still a small gap between Miharu and Keisuke but Ryosuke noticed that the FD was slowly closing the distance. Pretty soon, the gap was gone and their bumpers were almost rubbing against each other.

Ryosuke's brow wrinkled in confusion. "That's strange. At this rate, they'll be heading into the consecutive hairpins side by side."

Ryosuke's prediction proved to be correct. As the two cars entered the left hairpin, Miharu's GDB veered to the outside and Keisuke squeezed his FD to the inside. They exited the corner side by side, taking the zigzag road that followed with almost alarming closeness to each other.

They went into the first of the consecutive hairpins alongside each other. Since it was a right turn, the GDB should have been able to get ahead since it was on the inside but for some reason, it wasn't able to utilize that advantage. As the two prepared to enter the next left hairpin, Keisuke was able to pull ahead since he was on the inside line this time around. By the time they reached the next right hairpin, Keisuke had already passed Miharu.

Ryosuke's frown deepened as his eyes bored into the back of the GDB. What had happened? This shouldn't be the extent of her skills. At the rate she was going, she should have been able to defeat Keisuke without any trouble at all. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the car. Did he make a mistake? No, he didn't think that was it. He was certain Miharu and Mia were one and the same. So what was it then?

The race was decided pretty much after that. Keisuke and Miharu crossed the finish line with only a fraction of a second difference between them. Keisuke had won.

* * *

Kenta happily made his way over to Keisuke as the latter climbed out of the FD. "I knew it! Last night was just a fluke! That was amazing, Keisuke-san!"

Keisuke snubbed Kenta and sauntered towards Miharu who had just stepped out of her car. Behind her GDB, Ryosuke's FC slowed to a halt. Takumi and Ryosuke also got out and approached Miharu.

Without preamble, Keisuke said, "All right. What the hell was that, Miha-chan?"

Miharu looked puzzled. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kei-chan. What was what?"

Ryosuke crossed his arms over his chest and listened intently. He was asking the same questions himself. Takumi gazed anxiously at Miharu, a mystified look on his face.

"Don't give me that crap, Miha-chan. You _know_ what I'm talking about. You were winning and even I could see that. Why'd you change your pace?" asked Keisuke heatedly.

"Honestly, Kei-chan. You're starting to get on my nerves. I didn't change my pace," said Miharu with annoyance.

"Yes, you did!" insisted Keisuke.

"If you must know," said Miharu scathingly, "my tires are shot. Goddammit, Kei-chan, you already _won_. What the heck is your problem?"

Keisuke examined Miharu's face for any sign that she wasn't telling the truth. He still looked doubtful but he relaxed, deciding to accept her answer for now. Takumi sighed, glad that everything was settled. Miharu looked put out but everyone figured it was because she had lost and was feeling sore.

Ryosuke, on the other hand, didn't buy it at all. He kept his eyes on Miharu as she and Keisuke talked. His gut told him that something was amiss and he was rarely wrong when that happened.

He stole a glance at Miharu's tires. _Those tires are practically new. They should have plenty of grip. And even if they were worn, her skills should be enough to make up for it._

His eyes traveled back to Miharu's face and his heart skipped a beat. He shook his head, mentally scolding himself and returned his attention to the matter at hand.

_What are you up to, Miharu?_

* * *

Miharu shook Takumi awake. Takumi groaned, "What? What time is it?"

"Time to do the delivery, Taku-chan. Come on. Let's take my car. I'll drive," said Miharu coolly.

"If you're doing the delivery then why'd you wake me up?" grumbled Takumi.

"Just get up and come with me."

Takumi sighed as Miharu left the room. He sat up and yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

By the time he got downstairs, Miharu was already waiting in the GDB's driver's seat. He climbed in and strapped his seatbelt on. As soon as he did so, Miharu pulled out of the parking space.

The drive up to the hotel was pretty much uneventful. Miharu didn't speak a word so he remained quiet as well. He figured she was still pissed off about losing to Keisuke. He supposed she just needed to let off some steam, and probably wanted company.

Takumi wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary when Miharu kissed the steering wheel and began her downhill run. Sure, it was his first time to ride in the GDB but he had already seen her drive hard last night against Keisuke.

So why did this feel different?

Takumi sat up straighter and tried to sort things out in his head. He glanced at his cousin and saw the frown creasing her features. That was when it dawned onto him that she didn't ask him to come along just for company. She wanted him to see something, although he didn't know yet what it was. She was like Ryosuke this way. He mentally smacked himself. He really should've known better.

As Takumi paid more attention to her driving, he slowly came to understand why he felt that this run was different: because it _was_. She definitely wasn't this fast last night. And she definitely didn't enter the corners at this harrowing pace.

He compared this feeling to the time when Miharu had driven his 86 and suddenly remembered that she hadn't kissed the steering wheel back then. Did that mean she hadn't been driving seriously?

Takumi's eyes widened. That was it, wasn't it? That was what she was trying to tell him. He said softly, "I think I get it now, Miha-chan."

Upon hearing those words, Miharu's frown eased and a smile took its place. "I knew you'd understand."

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks to Miguel, your input really helps me along. Thanks to Gyro as well, for giving me the idea for a pass point in Akagi. As always, please review and never flame. 


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Ryosuke sat in front of his laptop, eyes unblinking as he pored over the data on the screen.

"I don't understand it," mumbled Ryosuke. "No matter how many times I look at it, no matter how much I turn it around in my head, I just don't get it. At least, I don't see the reason for it."

He typed something on the keyboard and clicked feverishly at the mouse, manipulating the data. His eyes burned from lack of blinking and he rubbed them tiredly. He glanced at the magazines sprawled open beside his computer and sighed.

_Come on, Ryosuke, think! She comes back all the way from America and challenges you to a battle. She doesn't end up battling you in the end but she still has a race with Keisuke. And then she loses! Why? I doubt she came back here just to lose, so what's the missing factor?_

Ryosuke ran his hand through his hair and went back to his computer. When Keisuke went into his room unannounced, he didn't even bother to look up.

"What are you looking at, Aniki?"

Ryosuke replied distractedly, "This is the data I gathered from your race with Miharu last night. I just don't get why Miharu lost like that."

"I had a feeling it was that," muttered Keisuke.

"Not to disparage your skills, Keisuke, but I think Miharu isn't someone you can defeat that easily."

"I actually don't get it as well. She was way ahead of me then suddenly," Keisuke snapped his fingers, "the gap was gone."

"Tell me what you noticed last night during the battle. Did anything change or seem weird to you?"

"Only that she started missing the best line sometime during the last part of the race but I'm guessing it was because of her tires."

Ryosuke finally turned towards Keisuke and said dispassionately, "Her tires had nothing to do with it, Keisuke. I checked their condition last night after the race and they looked perfectly fine to me."

Keisuke's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "But that's what she said. And she wouldn't lie to me. I looked straight into her eyes and I could tell. I've always been able to tell."

Ryosuke crossed his arms over his chest. "A lot can change in six years. You may not know her as well as you think you do."

"What do you mean by that, Aniki?" inquired Keisuke.

"Just that people change. You haven't seen each other in six years and even if you've been keeping in touch, it's not the same as actually being together. For instance, I doubt you know that she's one of Subaru's test drivers, Mia Fujiwara."

"She's _what_? Aniki, you're not making any sense."

Ryosuke grabbed one of the magazines on his desk and tossed it to his brother who caught it haphazardly. "I read that article some time ago about a test driver for Subaru named Mia Fujiwara. She's pretty popular since she joined Subaru at the age of 17 plus she's the first and only female test driver they have. Not only that, she's one of their best drivers too. Despite the fact that she constantly refuses to be featured in the media, she's earned herself somewhat of a cult following probably due to all the mystery surrounding her. And since she keeps to herself, very little is known about her except for some tidbits here and there."

Keisuke shook his head. "I still don't get what this has to do with Miha-chan."

Ryosuke smiled and patiently explained, "I was telling Fujiwara last night about this little habit Mia has before driving. She kisses her steering wheel before each run. Keisuke, Miharu did the same thing last night. Can you make the connection? Mia, Miha. Fujiwara, her being Fujiwara's cousin."

Keisuke's eyes skimmed the article on the magazine Ryosuke had given him, deep in thought. Mia Fujiwara, female, 22 years old. _Well, the age is right but…_

Keisuke suddenly tapped his finger on the magazine. "This can't be her. It says here she test drives for Subaru on the Nurburgring circuit in Germany. She's been living in the United States."

Ryosuke raised an eyebrow at this. "That's totally flimsy, Keisuke. Germany is just a plane ride away. How do you know she hasn't been going back and forth between the two countries?"

Keisuke shook his head stubbornly. "I still say it's not her," he insisted. "For one thing, this article says she's been a test driver for Subaru since she was 17. Miha-chan didn't even know how to drive at that age. Heck, _I_ didn't know how to drive at that age."

"Fujiwara told me she's been driving since she was 12."

"He said _what_?"

Ryosuke gazed amusedly at his brother. "Must I keep repeating myself, Keisuke? Fujiwara said that Miharu started doing the deliveries to Akina's hotel when she was 12. I assume that when she wasn't driving on Akina, she was practicing on Akagi and that's how she knows the course so well."

"OK, Aniki. Let's just say that she was practicing on Akagi when we were younger. How could it have escaped our notice? We live next door to each other, for chrissake."

"We wouldn't notice if we were asleep, now would we? I'm sure she took her mother's car in the dead of the night when everybody's asleep. She didn't have a license and she would have gotten into a heap of trouble if she'd been caught," reasoned Ryosuke.

Finally running out of reasons and excuses, Keisuke measured the implications of everything his brother had said and started to make his own connections. _Miha-chan was already learning to drive when we were 12? Come to think of it, that was when she started buying all those car books like crazy. This is insane, why am I even considering this? If Miha-chan is as good as Aniki believes she is then I couldn't have beaten her so easily last night, right? But then again, Aniki did say something about her tires not being a factor at all. So what does that mean then? She couldn't have been…_

Keisuke's eyes widened in shock as he realized what his brother was telling him then they slowly narrowed in rage. He stood up and stalked to the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Ryosuke composedly, already predicting his younger brother's response.

"I'm going to squeeze the life out of her pretty little neck. I knew it! I had a feeling she was lying to me last night but she looked so sincere that I just let it slide. And this Mia Fujiwara business, how could she hide something this big from me? And most importantly, where does she get off losing against me on purpose?" snarled Keisuke.

"Calm down, Keisuke."

"Calm down? Aniki, how can you ask me to calm down?" said Keisuke in frustration, running his hand through his hair.

"For one thing, we don't even know for sure that she lost against you on purpose," pointed out Ryosuke.

"But you just said that my skills aren't enough to beat her!" argued Keisuke.

"I never said that. I just said you couldn't defeat her that easily. There's a difference."

"Whatever! What about that crap about her tires being worn? That was probably something she came up with on the fly."

"That may be true," conceded Ryosuke, "but we don't really have any proof."

"Proof? What more proof do we need? What the hell is she thinking?"

"I wish I knew. I can't help but think that she has a powerful reason for losing against you, if that is indeed what she did."

"Oh, I'm sure she did. Her mind is just twisted enough to come up with something like that," said Keisuke vehemently.

"But right now, I should concern myself more with the upcoming expedition battle. There are a lot of preparations to be made. This issue will just have to wait," replied Ryosuke as he turned back to his computer.

"You do that, Aniki. But I can't wait. I'll deal with Miharu," said Keisuke dourly.

Before Ryosuke could say anything more, Keisuke left, slamming the door behind him. Ryosuke sighed.

"I really hate it when they do that."

* * *

Miharu hummed a happy tune as she parked her car beside Keisuke's FD on Akagi's peak. She smiled as she got off the GDB and waved at Keisuke who was leaning against his car with arms crossed.

"Hey, Kei-chan! I thought we were meeting at the café," she said as she neared him.

The smile left her face when she saw Keisuke's scowl. Worry took over and she anxiously asked, "What's wrong?"

"You tell me, Miha-chan," replied Keisuke.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me! I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing but I'm not about to be one of your pawns!"

"Kei-chan, you're not making any sense! What game do you think I'm playing here?"

"First off, I want you to tell me the truth. Are you Mia Fujiwara?"

Miharu stopped dead in her tracks, a horrified expression on her face. She paled as she said quietly, "Where did you hear that name?"

"Where do you think? I just had a talk with Aniki about last night's race and he let that little detail slip."

"Ryosuke. I should have known," said Miharu bitterly.

"It's true then? So I suppose all the other things he said were also true," snapped Keisuke.

Dread filled Miharu as she asked darkly, "What other things?"

"Fujiwara mentioned something about you doing the deliveries when you were 12. And Aniki also thinks you've been driving on Akagi since then seeing as you know the entire pass inside out."

Miharu felt a flicker of anger at her cousin for telling on her but it quickly disappeared when she realized that Takumi had nothing to do with this. Besides, she knew that Takumi wouldn't deliberately say anything to Ryosuke that he didn't deem appropriate.

"How did Ryosuke find out?" asked Miharu quietly.

"That's not the issue here!" roared Keisuke.

"Just humor me, would you?"

"Fine. He said something about seeing you kissing your steering wheel before the race last night."

Miharu massaged her temples, feeling a headache forming. _Of course! How could I have been so careless? I'm such an idiot!_

Taking Miharu's silence as his cue to continue, Keisuke growled low in his throat. "Dammit, Miharu! How can you keep something like this from me?"

Miharu looked up at Keisuke in trepidation. When was the last time Keisuke had called her Miharu instead of Miha-chan? "I was going to tell you, Kei-chan…"

Keisuke cut her off. "When? When we're old and gray?"

Miharu sighed. "I was just scared you'd go and tell Ryosuke, and I wasn't ready for him to know. I never dreamed he'd be able to find out. I guess I underestimated him."

"Damn right. Look, I can understand about you not telling me about Mia Fujiwara. But did you have to hide the other stuff from me? I thought we were best friends! How come you're keeping so many secrets from me? Is it such a big deal that you've been driving since we were in middle school?"

"I'm sorry. It's just that the topic never really came up. And it wasn't really something I could discuss freely with anyone, even you. I could have gone to jail, Kei-chan."

"All right, I can concede to that. But you know what really stings right now? I can't stand the way you purposely lost in last night's battle," bit out Keisuke.

"But I didn't, Kei-chan! I told you, my tires were shot," insisted Miharu.

"Cut the bull! Isn't it enough that you lied and kept all those other things a secret? Aniki told me your tires were in perfect condition after the race. And I'm guessing a Subaru test driver like you would know how to push a GDB to its limit without sacrificing the tires," reasoned Keisuke furiously.

_He got me there_, thought Miharu wearily. Out loud, she said, "You're right, Kei-chan. I'm sorry; I did pull back a little during the last part of the race. My tires weren't an issue at all."

"Then what the fuck was that all about? Were you trying to humiliate me? Was it because you wanted to battle Aniki and not me? Tell me, why did you come back, Miharu? What do you want to prove by battling Aniki? Do you want revenge for what happened six years ago?"

"It's not like that at all," she said, her voice breaking. Keisuke's face blurred as her eyes started to fill up with tears.

"If you can beat me then beat me, Miha-chan! Don't pull that crazy crap on me! It's insulting!" Keisuke shouted.

"I can't!" Miharu shouted back, tears streaming down her cheeks. "If I had won then Project D would be finished!"

Keisuke stared at Miharu in disbelief. "What the hell does that have to do with anything? Why do you even care?"

Miharu looked away and bit her lip, struggling to keep her tears inside. Seeing that it was futile, she replied in a shaky voice, "I could never do that to Ryosuke. I can't destroy his dream."

She turned back to face Keisuke, paying no mind to the continuous flow of water from her eyes. "You asked me why I came back. It's because running away didn't solve anything. Nothing's changed for me."

"What are you trying to tell me?" asked Keisuke softly.

"I never stopped, Kei-chan. I still love Ryosuke."

* * *

**A/N:** Many thanks to Sanae-san whose input finally got me off my creative slump and put me to work on finishing this chapter. She also beta read for me. Thanks also to Miguel for providing me with a clear outline on this chapter and for also beta reading. To all who reviewed, thanks again! You have no idea how much it means to know you appreciate my effort and how much it helps me as a writer. Email or review for any questions, comments, constructive criticisms and suggestions. Keep your flames to yourself as they will be ignored.

On another note, I've started placing updates on my profile page so check back often. I've also put up another story (shameless plug) so all you Yu Yu Hakusho fans should check it out. Thanks!


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Miharu morosely stared out the window of Takumi's room, tears steadily streaming down her cheeks.

_What am I doing?_ she thought unhappily.

She'd been sitting there ever since she got home, thinking, and for some reason she was upset. She thought that she would feel relieved after talking to Keisuke but this particular time left her all messed up inside. Doubts were insidiously working their way into her brain and her heart.

_Was I right to come back? Am I just giving everyone trouble? What do I want to prove by battling Ryosuke? Am I just being selfish? Am I crazy? Ugh, this is stupid!_

Miharu turned away from the window and decided that she'll feel better after she's taken a quick shower so she grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom. Once she felt the warm water streaming down her body, she closed her eyes and reflected on her situation.

_Who am I kidding? I already know the answers to all these questions. I'm here because I'm still that idealistic little girl who was enchanted with a fairy tale prince. I'm here because I'm still that silly middle school student hatching plots to get the attention of the cool upperclassman. I'm here because I'm still that giddy high school freshman who had her heart broken by the popular senior. I'm here because even after being away for six years I haven't forgotten what a smart, kind and passionate person Ryosuke is. And seeing him again, the boy, the teenager, the man, made me fall in love all over again._

She increased the water pressure and as the torrent drummed through her head, her fists tightened.

_But even through all of this, he's still the same guy who only sees me as his brother's best friend. I'm here because I love him and I want to show him just how much. The question is, will he let me?_

A feeling of hopelessness settled in her heart as the tears started up again, her sobs camouflaged by the sound of the shower. She stood under the water for a good thirty minutes before her weeping subsided. Miharu shook her head, trying to force her misgivings out.

_I'd already decided to see this through to the end and that's what I'm going to do._

She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She hurriedly dried off and got dressed then she headed outside to her car. She looked at the GDB for several moments, idly stroking the car's hood.

_What I should be thinking about is how to overcome this setback. Ryosuke's seen how I drive. He knows about Mia. Nothing I can do about that now but that means most of my advantages over him are gone. The only thing I have left is this car. I'm sure the minute he saw it run, he figured out its full capacity._

Miharu went around to the driver's side and popped the hood. She stared at the engine, thinking about what she could do. She thought back to her practices and battles on Akagi.

_The car's great as it is but it can certainly do better. Trouble is, if I mess around with the engine I'll lose the balance of power. Besides, I think I have enough power to match up with Ryosuke's FC so that's not my problem. What can I do to the car that would lead to a faster time?_

With her mind set on a goal, she hopped in the car and drove back to Akagi.

* * *

Miharu was relieved to see that the parking lot on Akagi's peak was empty. She checked her watch and noted the time, concluding that there wouldn't be any practices tonight or they would have already begun. 

_I just need to make a few runs to try and figure out what I can change in my setup._

She picked up the lap timer she had purchased before heading up the mountain and fiddled with the buttons. Once she figured out how it worked, she drove to the start line. She kissed her steering wheel, pressed the start button on the lap timer, and then sped off.

She concentrated fiercely on the road, expertly maneuvering the GDB around the tight corners. She pushed the car to its limit, intent on making the fastest run she could manage.

She screeched to a stop when she reached the base then grabbed the timer and clicked the stop button. She cursed inwardly when she saw the time reflected on the device.

_Dammit! I only made it just under Ryosuke's record when he raced Sudo. This simply won't do._

She slowly made her way back up Akagi, her mind going over every aspect of her run.

_I know I can push harder in the corners. My turn in feels sluggish and the boost lag is unbelievable. I'm not sure if my problem is gearing or if my boost is too high. If I try to turn in faster, I'll just understeer. Maybe if I tweak the center differential control…_

She again took her position on the start line and twiddled with the center differential controls. Satisfied, she made another downhill run. When she reached the first corner, she was glad to note that her turn in was getting better but it still lacked something.

She ended up repeating the same process over and over. She would change the settings, make a run, and then climb back up. Her frustration mounted when her tires began to slip.

_Now my tires really _are_ worn. This is maddening! I want to keep going but obviously I can't. First thing tomorrow, I'll get another set of tires. And maybe I should change the final gear ratio as well. I'll have to talk to Masashi oji-san about what we could do…_

Miharu's thoughts whirled with plans as she made her way back to the tofu shop. She had a lot to do.

* * *

"I'm really sorry, Miharu-chan, but I just can't accommodate you," sighed Masashi as he slid out from under the car he'd just been working on. 

"But Masashi oji-san, I really need to get this work done," said Miharu desperately.

"Well, it's not really a matter of not being able to get the work done. However, the time frame you're giving me is just way too short. As you can see, a lot of these cars also need urgent repairs."

"Darn. I suppose I'll have to do the work myself then."

"Tell you what, I can get you all the parts you need and point you to the best places to get tools. I'm sorry, that's the best I can manage right now. I'm just too swamped."

"That's OK. I'll just have to ask Bunta oji-san if I can swap parking spaces with Taku-chan so I can work there."

* * *

"Miha-chan, what the heck are you doing?" 

Miharu peeked out from under the GDB and saw Takumi staring at her incredulously.

"I'm changing my final gear ratio. To do that, I have to bring down the transmission and take out the final gear so I can swap it out with this one," she replied casually, holding up a gear.

"Well I can see that. But that looks like a differential axle," said Takumi, pointing to a different part lying on the ground. "And I think that's a tie rod. Wait, is that your radiator?"

Miharu laughed sheepishly. "I kinda got carried away. I was just going to work on the transmission then I noticed that I need to replace something here and there so…"

"You sure you can do all that by yourself? You might end up wrecking a perfectly good car," said Takumi dubiously.

"Of course, dear. I've done more than this on my RX-8 back in the States. I should be done by mid-afternoon, after which I'm going to try it out on Akagi."

"You're really serious about this, huh."

"As serious as a street race can get."

* * *

That evening, Miharu was back in Akagi. She took a deep breath and mentally went over what she had accomplished. 

_OK, I've changed the LSD setting to be more responsive, I've adjusted the final gear to something less for the top end and I've set the center differential to make the car feel more like a rear wheel drive. I brought an extra set of tires so I can probably stay until early morning._

She nodded to herself and peeled off. The routine she had established the previous night resumed itself only this time, she happily noted that every time she went back to the peak to make some adjustments, she clocked in a better time. She felt, however, that her turn in was still a bit slow and that there were still some corners where she missed the apex because of this.

As the night wore on, more and more settings were modified. She even altered the suspension dampening several times. When her tires gave out, she brought out her jack and started putting in the extra set. Her head was beginning to hurt trying to keep up with all the things she had done. She set her lip in a tight line.

_No. I'm not giving up. I'm going to stay here until I fall from exhaustion. I don't care if people think this is foolish or what. This is my only shot at Ryosuke and I'm not going to mess it up!_

With that thought, she viciously attacked the lug nuts and got back to work.

* * *

A few days later, the shrill ringing of the telephone shattered the silence at the Fujiwara Tofu Shop. Takumi calmly answered the phone and listened to the other person on the line. 

"Miha-chan! Phone for you!" he called out.

Miharu grunted from underneath her car and yelled out, "Tell whoever it is to call back in a few hours. I'm busy!"

Takumi rolled his eyes and did as he was told.

A few minutes later, the phone rang again. Takumi grumbled at being disturbed as he went to answer it again.

"Miha-chan! It's for you again!"

"I'M BUSY!"

Takumi let out an exasperated sigh. He stalked outside and crouched down to peer under the GDB. "Miha-chan, it's Junko oba-san. She said it's important."

Miharu glanced at Takumi before setting down her tools. She slid out from beneath the car, muttering under her breath. She removed her work gloves impatiently and stomped to the phone.

"Hey Mom, what's up?" she said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.

"Miharu, I want you to come over tonight," Junko said.

"Can't it wait? I have plans," replied Miharu, thinking about all the work she still needed to complete on her GDB.

"No. The Takahashis found out that you're back from Keisuke and they wanted to see you so they planned a small get-together. Dinner starts at seven and you'd better be there, young lady," reprimanded Junko.

"Dinner?" Miharu asked dumbly. "Tonight? At the Takahashi mansion?"

"Yes so you better start getting ready. Wear something nice, OK? I'll see you tonight."

Junko ended the call after that statement but Miharu continued to press the receiver to her ear. One thought was running through her head.

_Crap. I have nothing to wear._

Realizing that her car currently didn't have all its parts back where they should be, she yelled out, "Taku-chan! I need a driver!"

* * *

"You sure you won't need a ride back tonight?" asked Takumi as he stopped the 86 in front of the Takahashi residence. 

"Yeah, I'll either stay home or ask Kei-chan to drive me if he's not too angry at me. Thanks, Taku-chan," said Miharu as she climbed out of the car.

"All right then."

Miharu closed the door and waved as Takumi drove off. She then took a deep breath and smoothed out her new clothes. It was a short dress with hand painted detail on the bust and a sexy V-neck. The angled skirt fell to her knees and the colors of the dress slowly faded from navy to tan. On her feet were flattering silver-white, 3-inch heeled, ankle-strap sandals.

_Well, here goes nothing_, she thought as she rang the doorbell.

Akiko Takahashi opened the door and gasped in surprise. "Miharu-chan, is that you?"

"Good evening, Akiko oba-san," said Miharu politely.

"Oh my goodness, you look fantastic! I can't believe how much you've grown! Come on in, you parents are already inside."

Akiko led her to the dining room. The minute they spotted her, greetings and exclamations were exchanged by all the parents. When everything had settled down, Akiko excused herself from the room to call her sons.

A moment later, Ryosuke and Keisuke entered the room. Both sported black suits and both looked dashing. The parents seemed to expect a joyful reunion, unaware of the tension among the three. Miharu figured she should approach them to ward off suspicious questions from their parents.

As Miharu neared Ryosuke, she couldn't help but stare at him. He'd always been undeniably gorgeous however in some way it was different from what she remembered. Sure, he looked more mature, taller, and well-proportioned than before but it wasn't just his looks that had changed. No, it was his appeal, the aura that surrounded him and drew everyone to him. In the past, that charisma had been subtle and mellow. Now, it just teemed out of him as if commanding everyone near to follow him and Miharu knew if she wasn't careful, it would swallow her whole.

Ryosuke, on the other hand, was having an equally hard time maintaining his carefully blank expression. He openly stared at Miharu, internalizing everything and wondering how such beauty was possible. He watched as Miharu kissed Keisuke's cheek enthusiastically while he hugged her. When she turned fully towards him, his breath caught in his throat.

"Hi, Ryosuke," she said softly as she stood on tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek.

The contact left both mesmerized and they just looked at each other quietly. Their parents exchanged knowing glances. Keisuke coughed to get their attention.

"Ryosuke, dear, why don't you escort Miharu to the table? She can sit between you and Keisuke," said Akiko gently.

Ryosuke sighed but he complied. He knew that tone. That was his mother's "matchmaking" tone.

_This is going to be a long night_, he thought.

* * *

The Takahashis and the Watanabes were enjoying wine in the parlor. Miharu, Keisuke and Ryosuke were in the living room. Dinner had passed by rather uneventfully. Miharu hardly said a word, only giving polite answers when she was questioned. 

"I didn't see your car outside, Miharu," commented Ryosuke.

"Oh, I didn't bring one. Taku-chan drove me over," she replied delicately.

Keisuke edgily ran a hand through his hair and said, "Oh, cut it out, you two."

Ryosuke and Miharu looked questioningly at Keisuke who rolled his eyes. "Look, why don't the two of you take a drive or something? Aniki, take her home. You two need to talk. All this cordiality is getting on my nerves."

Miharu felt uneasiness grip her and she worried that Keisuke told Ryosuke about what they had talked about several days ago. To her relief, Keisuke simply stood up and just before he went out the door, he said, "The two of you used to be good friends at the very least before all this mess began. Why don't you start from there, huh?"

Miharu blushed. She stole a glance at Ryosuke who, for his part, remained dispassionate. He seemed to take Keisuke's suggestion to heart, however, and said, "Let me just grab my keys."

* * *

Ryosuke found himself driving up Akagi with Miharu on the passenger seat of his FC. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Both knew they had some things to talk about but neither had any idea where to start. 

They reached the parking lot at the peak and Ryosuke shut off the car's engine. He was surprised when Miharu initiated the conversation.

"You know, I never got to ride this car until now. I remember you being so excited about getting it back then. And I remember you promised me a ride provided I don't wear a crash helmet," said Miharu lightly.

Ryosuke couldn't help but smile. "Well, that's one promise down."

The hint was subtle but Miharu caught on right away. "About that, Ryosuke, I wanted to apologize for causing any trouble for you and Project D. I guess I wasn't really thinking about that when I passed Kei-chan and challenged you."

Ryosuke shook his head. "I think I'm the one who should be apologizing. It must have been hard to let Keisuke win."

Miharu laughed. "He told you, huh."

"No, not really. He just told me that he'd already talked to you."

"Yeah, well, I ended up getting yelled at by Kei-chan. He hasn't talked to me since that argument days ago. I can't say I blame him for being ticked off, though. I _did_ lie to him."

Ryosuke had a ton of questions he wanted to ask her. Why did she lose against Keisuke on purpose? Why did she come back? Does she still think about him? Does she still love him?

He mentally kicked himself. Why did he want to know?

Being alone with Miharu brought back all the strange emotions he'd kept locked inside him for years. _Does she have this effect on all men or is it just me?_ he thought inattentively.

"I've been practicing every night here to get ready for our battle. I've almost matched your record time but I think I still have a long way to go."

"That's surprising. I figured you'd be able to beat that time without any problems."

"You'd think that but no. I suppose it's because I have no idea how you drive."

"I could show you."

Miharu flicked her startled gaze at Ryosuke's face. "Why would you do that? I'm your opponent, remember?"

Ryosuke shrugged. "I think it's only fair. After all, if it hadn't been for Keisuke, we would have been battling each other without any idea of the extent of the other's skill."

Before Miharu could protest, Ryosuke started up the engine. The FC roared to life and they were off.

Ryosuke's downhill run was everything Miharu expected it to be and more. Keisuke and Takumi hadn't been exaggerating at all about his skill. From the entry to the exit, every move was executed flawlessly. He was amazingly good and ridiculously fast.

They were again quiet on the drive home but now it was a companionable silence. When Ryosuke stopped in front of the Fujiwara Tofu Shop, Miharu again leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks for the ride, Ryosuke. Good night," she said sweetly.

Ryosuke managed a nod, his emotions and thoughts churning inside of him chaotically. He waited until Miharu was safely inside before driving away.

* * *

The next morning, Miharu was again hard at work reassembling her car. With Ryosuke's run clearly emblazoned in her mind, she knew she had her work cut out for her. 

Takumi was surprised to see that Miharu was already up. He shrugged and was about to head off to work when he remembered something.

"Hey, Miha-chan. A guy came by last night looking for you while you were having dinner with Ryosuke-san."

"Did you ask who it was?" Miharu called out from under the car.

"It's really weird, but he left before I could ask him. He sounded like the same guy who called yesterday, though. Remember, you said for me to tell him you were busy."

"Well, what did he look like?"

Takumi raised an eyebrow and said, "What are you talking about? He looks like a normal guy."

"Taku-chan!"

"Look, he was tall and he dresses like Ryosuke-san but I didn't really pay attention to anything else. He drives a blue BMW M3, though."

"Hmm, don't know anyone who drives an M3. Anyway, I'm sure he'll come by again if it's important. Thanks, Taku-chan."

"No problem. I'm off to work."

"All right, take care!"

Miharu turned her concentration back on her car. By midday, she was finished. She cleaned herself up and hurried to the tire shop to purchase two more sets to replace the ones she had worn out. With some time on her hands, she headed to Yuuichi's gas station. She waved when she caught sight of Iketani and Itsuki.

"Hi guys. Full tank of high octane, please. And could you check the water and oil? Thanks."

"No problem, Miharu. What about your spare tank?" asked Iketani.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me. It's in the trunk."

"Gee, Miharu-san, you've sure been using up a lot of gasoline," remarked Itsuki.

"You noticed, huh. I've been doing a lot of practice runs on Akagi. I just can't seem to find the perfect setup and I really need it if I want to beat Ryosuke."

Iketani and Itsuki exchanged looks. Itsuki scooted over to Iketani and whispered, "Oi, Iketani-sempai. She can't mean Ryosuke Takahashi, can she?"

"Of course it's Ryosuke Takahashi. You think we should ask her for details or do we wheedle it out of Takumi instead?" Iketani furiously whispered back.

"I say Takumi. He's easier to bully."

They finished with Miharu's GDB a few minutes later then watched as she drove away.

* * *

_OK, this is it. I'm getting closer to finding that perfect setup. I just know something's going to happen tonight._

Miharu's optimism dwindled as the hours flew by. She was down to her last set of tires and a few liters of gas.

_Just enough for one last run and the trip home. I have to make this count._

Her good feelings returned as she made her way down the mountain. She was maximizing the All-Wheel Drive on the sharper turns but she still seemed to be having trouble with her sluggish turn in. When she reached the consecutive hairpins, she suddenly felt her tires slipping and the car moving out on its own.

_Darn it, I guess I miscalculated my tire usage tonight. I have to be careful._

She kicked the clutch to correct the car's angle. She took the corner widely but exited safely. She kicked the clutch again at the next hairpin but it failed to respond.

_Oh shit! My clutch!_

Miharu slammed on the brakes. The car squealed to a halt. She panted, willing her heart to stop its frantic pounding as she shakily stepped out of the GDB.

_Sliding clutch. God, how could I be so stupid? I've been so anxious on setting up the car I didn't even bother with the basics. To top it all off, I've tried everything already and the car still won't perform the way I want it to. Face it, Miharu. You're a world class idiot._

Miharu hardly noticed as a blue BMW M3 stopped just beside her and its driver stepped out. A rather handsome man with blonde hair and olive green eyes walked towards her, clucking his tongue. Miharu jumped in surprise at the sound then she whirled around to look for its source. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Looks like you could use some help there, Mia," the man said with amusement.

"Oh my gosh. Jin!" exclaimed Miharu.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh, wow. That took a long while. This is my longest chapter yet, as I intended it to be (17 is my favorite number and if you're one of my friends you should know why). Expect several flashback chapters since I'll need it to introduce Jin. Again, my thanks to Bop (for practically writing the whole car stuff scene for me), Sanae-san (for helping me organize my thoughts, literally giving me the outline for the entire chapter, and beta-reading for me) and to Miguel (for beta-reading and for the ideas). Thanks to everyone who reviewed and I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter despite the long wait! 


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

_A little under six years ago_

Sixteen year old Miharu looked up from her textbook as the door of her dorm room opened and her roommate, Chieko, stepped inside. She gladly noted that Chieko was without the gaggle of girls she normally hung around with. Miharu's lips quirked into an almost smile as she resumed her studying.

She and Chieko never really spoke to each other. With her unusual combination of blonde hair and olive green eyes, Chieko Basset was easily the most popular girl in school. The only reason the administration put the two of them together in the same dorm room was because Chieko was half-Japanese and everyone probably figured they'd get along well.

The silence that permeated the room was broken by the sound of the television being turned on. Miharu inwardly groaned. _Great. I guess I'm off to the library again_, she thought grumpily.

Miharu slowly started to gather her things together when she was startled by the engine sounds coming from the television. She stopped and listened, trying to determine the car models by the sound.

_That one's definitely a Mitsubishi Evolution._

She paused, straining to hear the sound better.

_And that one's a Subaru Impreza._

Miharu leaned back in her chair, completely absorbed in her thoughts. She didn't notice that Chieko's attention had shifted from the television to her.

_Hmm, is that a Peugeot?_

"Actually, it's a Citroën."

Miharu cast her shocked expression on Chieko. Chieko only laughed and said, "You said that last thought out loud."

"Oh," said Miharu nervously. "Sorry about that. I'll just head over to the library so I won't disturb you."

"That's OK. I mean, I'm the one bothering you with all this racket. Say, why don't you stay and watch this with me? You seem to know a lot about cars," remarked Chieko casually.

Miharu shrugged indifferently. "You seem to know a fair share yourself."

"Not really. It's just that my brother works for Prodrive. I'm only watching this because I want to see him on TV."

Interested, Miharu went over to where Chieko was sitting. She flopped down on the chair beside her roommate and asked, "Really? So what does he do?"

"Shh, there he is."

Miharu turned her gaze to the screen and saw the same blonde hair and olive green eyes. She sucked in her breath. _Damn, he's really hot! He looks young, though,_ she thought dazedly.

After the interview, Chieko turned off the television and cheerfully said, "Well, I have no idea what he just talked about but I'm glad he's looking well."

"He was talking about the active differential he helped developed specifically for the Subaru Impreza WRC car. Apparently, the software he designed allows for more precise control during hard cornering and achieves desirable understeer and oversteer in certain conditions. That's amazing!" replied Miharu thoughtfully.

Chieko stared at Miharu, her mouth agape. "You actually understood all of that? Oh, you _so_ have to meet my brother. I think you and he would get along wonderfully."

Miharu blushed in embarrassment. "I'm just a little bit into cars, that's all."

"A _little_? Darling, _I'm_ a little interested. You're just geeky," Chieko said calmly.

Miharu didn't know whether to be amused or insulted. When Chieko started giggling, she relaxed and gave an easy smile.

"You know," said Chieko, giving Miharu a speculative look, "you're really pretty. Scratch that. You're gorgeous. You should smile more often."

"I… what?" asked Miharu, unsure of how to respond.

"Ever since you came here, you've been acting like a stuck up bitch. No offense," Chieko hurriedly said.

Miharu chuckled. "None taken. I just have a lot of things on my mind."

A sad, faraway look crossed Miharu's face briefly but Chieko noticed it immediately. "Boy trouble, huh? I guess that's why you've been turning down all the yummy guys who've been asking you out."

Miharu masked her discomfort with a toss of her hair. "I'm not interested in dating anyone."

"You sound exactly like my brother. God, no matter how many times I try to set him up with one of my friends he just completely blows them off. They're either too young, too thin, too fat…I don't know what he wants!"

Grateful for the change in topic, Miharu again inquired, "So, just how old is your brother? He looks too young to be one of Prodrive's engineers."

"Well, Jin, that's my brother's name, only just turned 21. He's what you would call an actual genius. He attended middle school and high school here, skipping grades as he went along, and then he finished his course in MIT just before he turned 20. Prodrive snapped him up before graduation because of his thesis on those differentiation thingies."

"Differential," Miharu automatically corrected.

Chieko rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, he's based in Germany right now."

"I say he's brilliant."

A gleam appeared in Chieko's eyes. "My, my, Miharu-chan. If I didn't know better, I'd say you have a crush on my brother."

"What? I most certainly do not! And might I remind you that you don't know me at all? We only just started talking now," sputtered Miharu.

"True, but I'd recognize that look anywhere. I've seen it on tons of other girls. You like Jin," said Chieko emphatically.

"Hey, don't get carried away. I already have someone I like."

"Oh, rubbish. Judging from your expression earlier, I'd say that your relationship with that guy didn't turn out so well. Otherwise, I'd be seeing pictures of him around and you'd stop acting all depressed."

Miharu shook her head in amazement. "You're really bossy. I'm surprised you're as popular as you are."

Chieko burst out laughing. "I like you. You're brutally honest. Frankly, that's refreshing. None of the other girls would have the guts to say that to my face."

"I can't imagine why," grumbled Miharu.

"You should totally hang out with me."

"I don't know. I don't really like your other friends," smirked Miharu.

"Ha, ha. I said with _me_, not with _us_."

Miharu smiled her first genuinely happy smile since she arrived in New York. "I'd like that."

* * *

_A few weeks later_

"What the heck? Why are we here? This place looks like a dump," declared Chieko as the taxi rolled to a stop.

Miharu rolled her eyes. "Hey, you dragged me to that dumb party last week. All I'm asking is for a few minutes to meet up with my friend then we can get out of here. Besides, I come here a lot and this place is definitely better than anywhere else you've taken me to."

"Fine. Ten minutes then we split."

"Yes, mother," grumbled Miharu.

Chieko gave Miharu a withering glare before climbing out of the taxi. While Chieko hesitantly approached the dilapidated doorway, Miharu confidently walked inside. As soon as they walked through the door, Miharu was greeted by several of the bar's patrons.

"Hiya, Miharu!"

"Yo, Miharu!"

Chieko looked questioningly at Miharu who was waving to everyone she knew. Chieko followed Miharu to the pool table situated at the back of the bar where two guys were playing. One of them had brown hair and brown eyes while the other one, a redhead with amber eyes, was taking a shot.

"Hi, Kazu," called out Miharu.

The brunette, Kazuhiko Arai, glanced up at the sound of his name.

"Miharu! You're early," said Kazuhiko.

Both men set their cue sticks down on the table, abandoning their game, and walked over to the two girls. Miharu smiled at them and said, "Sorry. I have plans later so I thought I'd meet up with you earlier than we planned."

"Who's your friend?" asked the redhead. Without waiting for an answer, he dropped his arm over Chieko's shoulders and said, "I'm Chase Williams. What's your name?"

Chieko shrugged Chase's arm from her shoulder and said haughtily, "Ugh. Don't talk to me."

Miharu shook her head helplessly at her friend. "Chieko-chan, I just need to talk to these guys for a while. Why don't you get us some drinks and I'll be finished before you know it."

Chieko reluctantly nodded and headed towards the bar. Kazuhiko was laughing at Chase's crestfallen expression. "Man, she got you good."

"She wasn't that pretty anyway," muttered Chase.

"Right, whatever you say, dude. Miharu, I got the parts you needed for your car. Thing is, I made a mistake with my quotation and I have to up the price," Kazuhiko told Miharu.

"No problem, how much more do you need?"

"Just a couple of hundred. Wait here while I go get it, OK?"

Miharu nodded. While she waited for Kazuhiko and Chase to return, Chieko suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Miharu-chan, you remember that totally hot gym teacher we had before? You know, Evan Cooper?" she said excitedly.

"Yeah. He left school after only two months, right? What about him?" asked Miharu.

"I saw him at the bar and he asked me to have coffee with him!"

"So?"

"_So_? I said yes, of course! I mean, he's so gorgeous!"

"I don't know, Chieko-chan," said Miharu doubtfully. "Why would a teacher ask one of his former students out to have coffee?"

Chieko made a face and said, "Oh, don't be such a party pooper. He's a teacher, what are you so worried about? He probably just wants to ask what's been going on in school since he left. Anyway, you don't mind if I go with him, do you?"

Miharu sighed. "It's not like I can stop you. Where is he?"

"He's waiting for me outside in his car."

"OK, I'll walk you out."

The two made their way to the exit. When they were outside, Chieko was about to run off but she was stopped by Miharu's grip on her arm.

"Chieko-chan, I don't think you should leave with him."

Chieko shook her arm off Miharu's grasp and asked, "What's wrong now?"

"I don't trust him. He drives a Corvette."

"Miharu-chan, we are not having this conversation. What's wrong with a Corvette? I think it's a cool car. Listen, I'll call you if anything comes up, OK? He said he'll take me back to the dorm after so I'll see you there later. Stop worrying so much!"

With that, Chieko skipped off, got into the car and left. Miharu sighed again. Back inside, Kazuhiko and Chase were waiting for her.

"Where'd your friend go?" inquired Chase.

"Off to be a ditzy blonde," mumbled Miharu.

Kazuhiko gave her a weird look. "I take it your plans are off?"

"It would appear so. Come on, let's play some pool," said Miharu.

"All right!" cheered Chase.

The three headed back to the pool table and as they did, Kazu began chatting with Miharu.

"So, Miharu, why haven't you been coming these past few weeks? We kinda missed you," he said.

"Sorry, Kazu. I've been hanging out with Chieko and fixing up my car. That's why I really need that suspension kit I ordered from you."

"You took your car apart again? Jeez, you should stop messing with it, it's fast enough as it is."

"Can't hurt to be faster, can it? Besides, I'm looking for the perfect balance. I feel like the suspension isn't matching up to the engine's power," explained Miharu.

"Hey, you know you're one of the few people I can completely trust with cars. You know almost as much as I do when it comes to tuning. I still can't get my head around the fact that you're only sixteen sometimes."

Miharu giggled. "Well, I started early."

"By the way, Miharu, Kazu's planning on taking a trip to Japan," said Chase.

"Really? Why? And for how long?" asked Miharu.

"Nothing definite yet but I was invited by a friend. Have you heard of Todoh Juku?" asked Kazuhiko.

"Of course. They're one of the best in Kanto. Don't tell me you graduated from there?"

"Yeah, I did. Anyway, they're developing an EK9 race car and Todoh-san asked me if I wanted to be part of the whole thing. Besides, I've been wanting to go back to the mountains. I miss touge racing."

"Sounds great. Listen, Kazu, let me know when you're going, OK? I have some people I want you to look up for me. I want to know how they're doing."

"Sure, no problem, Miharu-chan," agreed Kazuhiko.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Miharu's cellphone began ringing. She fished it out of her pocket and answered, "Hello?"

"Miharu? You have to come get me."

"Chieko-chan? What's wrong? Where are you?" asked Miharu in an alarmed voice.

"I'm at Evan Cooper's house. He said he just wanted to check on something and asked me to come inside but then he started to get all touchy feely on me. I made an excuse to go use the bathroom and now I'm locked in here," Chieko explained frantically.

"Do you have a way out?" questioned Miharu urgently.

"There's a window here I can climb out of but hurry!"

"Stay put. Give me the address and I'm there."

Chieko was thankfully familiar with the area and dictated the address immediately. Miharu snapped her phone shut and turned to Kazuhiko.

"Kazu, I need to borrow your car."

* * *

Minutes later, Miharu was speeding down the road in a white Supra. She took all the shortcuts she knew off, trying to avoid high traffic areas. She was grateful for the late hour because the streets were practically deserted. She flipped her phone open as she neared the address and called Chieko.

When Chieko picked up, Miharu said, "Get out of there. I'm in a white Supra."

Miharu screeched to a halt in front of the teacher's house and she spied Chieko clambering out the window. Unfortunately, Evan chose that moment to peer outside. "Hey!" Evan yelled.

"Hurry, Chieko!" shouted Miharu.

Chieko ran towards the Supra and jumped inside. "Go! Go!" she screamed.

The Supra's tires squealed as Miharu peeled off. She checked the rearview mirror and saw Evan climbing into his Corvette. Miharu accelerated, determined to widen the distance between them.

"Put on your seatbelt," said Miharu calmly.

Clearly panicked, Chieko hurriedly did as she was told. Pretty soon, the Corvette caught up to them. Miharu dodged through the side streets, thinking of a place where she could lose the Corvette. Just then, Miharu spotted a sharp corner leading to a tight alley. With her mouth set in a grim line, she sped up and drifted the Supra expertly into it. Behind them, they heard the Corvette's tires skidding and then a loud crash resounded.

Miharu breathed a sigh of relief. She slowed down to a cruise. She turned to Chieko and said, "I'll take you to the dorm then I have to give this car back to Kazu. Wait for me until I return, OK?"

Chieko shakily replied, "OK."

* * *

After everything was settled and the two were safely in their dorm room, Miharu sat down across Chieko.

"Are you OK?" Miharu asked quietly.

Chieko brushed away Miharu's concern with a wave of her hand. "Nothing bad really happened, thanks to you, so I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I'd forgotten all about it. What's on my mind right now was that amazing driving of yours. Didn't we just start driver's ed together? Where the heck did you learn how to do all that?"

Miharu shifted her eyes away uncomfortably. "I just got lucky."

Chieko scoffed. "Give me some credit, Miharu-chan. I know true skill when I see it. Do you even have a license? Come on, you have to tell me."

"I don't have to tell you anything," said Miharu flatly.

"Yes, you do. You know I'm never going to let up. Tell me, tell me, tell me…" chanted Chieko over and over.

Miharu resisted. She really did. But Chieko was relentless and every minute that passed shortened Miharu's temper and patience. Soon, she cried out, "All right, already! Jeez! You're such a bitch!"

Chieko only grinned triumphantly.

* * *

**A/N: **OK, I don't have anything against Corvettes and I think it's a wonderful car. I'm just making good on a suggestion from Miguel. Jin didn't actually make an appearance yet except for that short TV show bit (and yes, in case you were wondering, they were watching WRC) but he'll be in the next chapter. I know I left an evil cliffy last chapter but thankfully I seem to have gotten over my writer's block for now so hopefully I won't leave you hanging for long. As usual, Miguel and Sanae are to be thanked. Thanks also to pnoytecknix, jpn6438, cricketchick1990, NanamiYatsumaki, and CelicaChick for practically reviewing every chapter and to everyone else, of course I thank you as well. Keep those comments coming! 


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

"That's…I'm speechless. I don't know what to say," stuttered Chieko.

"Wow, if I knew that was all it took to shut you up, I would have told you about this weeks ago," joked Miharu.

Chieko set her wrathful gaze on Miharu. She opened her mouth to say something but she closed it again, seemingly changing her mind. "Seriously though, drifting on mountain passes at twelve years old? That's some wicked stuff, Miharu-chan!"

"Well, it was pretty cool."

"So does this have anything to do with why you disappear on weekends?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that pile of crap, Miharu-chan. I want to know what it is exactly that keeps you busy every weekend. You disappear almost as soon as school's out on Fridays and you don't show up until Monday morning. Tell me everything or I swear I'll never talk to you again!"

"That isn't such a big loss, is it?" mumbled Miharu.

"MIHARU-CHAN!"

"All right! God, woman, what is it with you? I go to my house on weekends."

"Your house," said Chieko in a monotone.

"Yeah, you know. Pile of bricks with a roof?" retorted Miharu sarcastically.

"I know what a house is, darn it! All I'm saying is if you have a house, why do you stay here at the dorm?"

"Aside from the fact that it's easier to stay here, I don't really enjoy having the place all to myself."

"This from a self-imposed loner."

"Being a loner and being alone are two totally different things."

"Whatever. So what do you do there? And don't tell me 'nothing'. You wouldn't bother making the trip if it wasn't worth your time," deduced Chieko.

Miharu muttered something under her breath that Chieko didn't understand. Chieko leaned closer and said, "Say what? You play your guitar?"

Miharu finally gave up and sighed. "No, Chieko-chan. I work on my car. My house has a big garage so I have plenty of room to tweak stuff."

"You have a _car_? Why the heck don't you use it?" growled Chieko.

"I do use it, but it's heavily tuned."

"I'm afraid to ask. Why is it tuned? Who tunes it? Wait a minute. So those guys you met up with at the bar…"

"I tune it. Kazu is my parts guy. I can get the parts myself but somehow, it's cheaper when it's from him. He also knows about all the street races happening around the city so I get information from him as well."

"Street races," repeated Chieko dully.

"Please don't tell me I have to explain that to you as well."

"Shut up. So you tune your car all by yourself and you go to street races?"

Miharu nodded. "That's about it."

A dreamy expression appeared on Chieko's face and Miharu almost dreaded what was going through her friend's mind. "You do know, Miharu-chan, that this is the clincher. You're definitely the perfect girl for my brother."

"What? How did your brother even get into this conversation?" asked Miharu disbelievingly.

"Think about it! You're both good looking, you're both smart and you're both into cars! Well, Jin doesn't race, but still!"

"Sheesh, are we back to that? What is it with you and setting your brother up with every girl you know? You have a brother complex or something?"

Chieko chose to ignore Miharu's jibe and said, "I don't know. I just want to see him happy, that's all."

"I'm sure your brother is perfectly capable of finding his own girlfriend, Chieko-chan."

"Yeah," sighed Chieko. "But it doesn't hurt to give him a push in the right direction. Still, I can't wait to tell him about you. He's so totally going to flip!"

"Oh, no! Under no circumstances are you to tell him any of this."

"But Miharu-chan, I have to tell him!" whined Chieko.

"Are you out of your mind? Street races are _illegal_. Do you want to get me in deep shit?"

"But…"

Miharu crossed her arms over her chest and looked sternly at Chieko. "If you so much as breathe a word of this to him, I'll tell him about what happened tonight with Evan Cooper."

"Did I say I wanted to tell Jin? I meant we should keep this quiet. Zip."

Miharu nodded in satisfaction. "I thought so."

"You're no fun," grumbled Chieko.

* * *

_A month after_

"Miharu-chan, I have great news!" Chieko said as she slammed the door to their dorm room shut.

"Could you please stop doing that? You'll break down the door one of these days," scolded Miharu.

Chieko paid no attention to what Miharu said and continued, "You're coming with me on Saturday. We're going out to dinner."

"Dinner? With who? Anyway, sorry, Chieko-chan. You know my weekends are booked," regretfully said Miharu.

"I refuse to believe that you would pick your stupid car over me, Miharu-chan! Besides, I _really_ need you to be there!"

"Look, what's so important about this Saturday that I have to be there anyway? I have a race that night. I can't just not show up."

"Jin's coming over for a visit and you just _have_ to meet him."

"Do you want me to meet him or do you want to set me up with him?" inquired Miharu with a raised eyebrow.

"See, I knew you would say something like that!"

"Well I can't help it! Every time I hear you talking to your brother on the phone, you always try to bring up my name in the conversation. I'm almost embarrassed to meet him now because I have no idea what you've been telling him about me."

"Duh, I wouldn't say anything that would make you look bad."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Chieko grinned triumphantly, knowing she had Miharu hooked. "Come on, it's just one Saturday! Can't you give me just one day?"

"All right, already! God, I don't know why I always let you and Kei-chan get your way like this."

"Yes!" yelled Chieko excitedly. "And who's Kei-chan?"

"My equally obnoxious best friend back home."

"Sounds like my kind of girl."

Miharu didn't even bother to correct Chieko with her assumption of Keisuke's gender. She was trying to think of a way out.

"Don't," said Chieko.

"I didn't even say anything!" protested Miharu.

"You're getting that look on your face. You're clearly thinking of a way to not show up on Saturday!"

"I swear, I spend too much time with you," muttered Miharu.

"It can't be helped. I'm your roommate."

"Whee, lucky me," was Miharu's sardonic retort.

Chieko lobbed a pillow aimed at Miharu's head. Miharu dodged, laughing.

"Just for that, I'm going with you to your house on Friday. And don't you dare try to leave me behind."

Miharu groaned.

* * *

Friday rolled around and Miharu waited impatiently for Chieko to finish packing her things.

"Chieko-chan, hurry up!"

"Take it easy, will you? Just give me your address so I can tell Jin to meet us there tomorrow and then we can leave."

Miharu gave the address to Chieko who quickly jotted it down. Chieko grabbed her cellphone and called her brother.

"Hi, Chieko. Perfect timing, I was just about to call you," a deep voice over the phone said.

"Hey, Jin. Change of plans, I'm spending the weekend with a friend so could you take down this address?" said Chieko.

"Who's this friend?"

"I told you about her. My roommate Miharu."

"You're not matchmaking again, are you?" said Jin with a laugh.

Chieko rolled her eyes. "Shove it, Jin. Just take down the stupid address."

"Right, right," chuckled Jin.

After Chieko had recited the address, she asked, "So, why were you about to call me?"

"Oh yeah, about that. I just got off the phone with Mom. She told me your were having trouble with driver's ed and asked me to tutor you."

"I can't believe she told you about that! I'm embarrassed enough as it is!" griped Chieko.

"Well, imagine how I felt when I heard about it. Tomorrow morning, I'll pick you up at the address you gave me and we'll practice driving."

"Don't I have a say in this?"

"Apparently not, sis. Listen, my flight's about to leave so I'll see you when I get there. Bye!"

After the call, Chieko put her cellphone in her pocket and picked up her overnight bag. Miharu noted Chieko's sour mood and asked, "What was that all about?"

"Jin found out about me failing driver's ed from Mom. Now he wants to tutor me," answered Chieko grumpily.

Miharu burst out laughing as the two left the campus.

"Fine, go ahead, laugh it up, Ms. Hot Shot Street Racer," snarled Chieko.

"Hey, I offered to help. You're the sissy who won't listen," Miharu reminded her friend.

"Let's just go," Chieko muttered with a scowl.

* * *

"I'll get it!" called out Chieko as the doorbell chimed the next morning. She opened the door and squealed joyfully when she saw Jin standing in the doorway. She ecstatically jumped into his arms and he laughed at her greeting.

"I take it you missed me, sis," said Jin.

"You have no idea. I can't believe you're really here, Jin!" cried out Chieko.

"So, where's this friend you've been telling me about? You didn't give her any trouble, did you?" asked Jin.

"Chieko-chan, who…"

Miharu walked in from the kitchen and trailed off when she saw Jin. She stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding a mile a minute. _He's even hotter in person_, she thought frantically. _Wait, what am I thinking?_

Meanwhile, Jin was similarly having trouble keeping his eyes off Miharu. _Wow. She's really…young. Stop it, Jin! She's your sister's roommate, meaning she's underage. But still…wow._

Chieko smiled knowingly. _Bingo._

Out loud, she said, "Jin, this is my dear friend Miharu Watanabe. Miharu-chan, meet my brother, Jin."

Jin smiled widely, recovering his senses, and held out his hand for a handshake. "Hi, Miharu. Chieko's told me so much about you. It's nice to finally get to meet you."

Miharu, on the other hand, was still rooted to her spot. _He's taller than Ryosuke… Aww, crud! Don't start, Miharu!_

She snapped back to reality when Chieko gave her a nudge. "Oh!" she exclaimed and immediately grabbed Jin's hand. A warm, tingling sensation traveled up her arm and settled on the pit of her stomach. "It's nice to meet you too," she finished lamely.

"So, sis, you ready for your driving lesson?" said Jin, turning back to his sister.

Miharu bit her lip to keep from laughing when Chieko launched into a tirade about how stupid her whole situation was. "Honestly! I can always just take a cab to get around! I don't need to learn how to drive!" she concluded.

"Well, Mom doesn't seem to think so. Come on, we can use the car I rented," urged Jin.

"Yeah, Chieko-chan. Driving isn't so bad," said Miharu wickedly, immensely enjoying herself.

Chieko whirled around to face Miharu with a death glare. Then her eyes widened and a decidedly evil smile graced her lips. Miharu started to back away.

"You're right, Miharu-chan. Say, why don't you come along? You know, Jin, she's failing driver's ed too," announced Chieko gleefully.

"Hey, that's a great idea! Let's go!" said Jin enthusiastically.

Before Miharu could protest, Jin and Chieko grabbed each of her arms and headed out the door.

* * *

"That's it! I give up!"

Chieko threw her hands up in frustration. Miharu, who had been sulking in the backseat, giggled.

Jin moaned and said, "All right, so you're a little slow. We can get past this."

Chieko glowered at her brother. "I am _not_ slow! I don't understand why I have to drive stick. That's why they invented automatics. Stupid clutch is grating on my nerves! I've had it! I don't care if I never get a license!"

"All you need is some practice, sis. You'll get the hang of it eventually. Anyway, why don't you take a break so Miharu can have her turn?"

A gleam appeared in Chieko's eyes and Miharu stammered, "Oh, that's OK. I think I'll manage."

"Don't be such a wuss, Miharu-chan," snickered Chieko. "If I had to go through an hour of stalling, you should too."

Jin turned his head and grinned at Miharu. Miharu blushed slightly, her heartbeat racing. _Good God, what's happening to me?_

Soon, Miharu found herself gripping the rent-a-car's steering wheel. Chieko crossed her arms, a smug smile on her face. _Now's your chance, Miharu-chan. Show Jin what you can do_, she thought.

Chieko was full of confidence that her scheme would work so imagine her surprise when the rent-a-car jerked and stalled. Miharu smiled apologetically at Jin and said, "I'm really bad at this. Sorry."

Jin laughed. "Well, at least you know what to do. Just keep trying and you'll get it right."

Chieko mentally screamed at her friend. _What do you think you're doing? You're supposed to blow Jin away with your fantastic driving!_

Each time the rent-a-car stalled, Chieko's frown deepened. She started blocking out Jin's lectures and concentrated on thinking of a new plan to get her friend and her brother together.

Suddenly, she was jolted out of her reverie by Miharu's quiet laughter and Jin's deep chuckles. She looked back and forth between the two of them and realized something.

_I can't believe it. They're _flirting_! They're actually hitting it off!_

Chieko relaxed and observed them in silence.

After about an hour, Jin's phone started ringing. He quickly answered it and spoke softly in German. When the call was over, Jin sighed and said, "Chieko, I have to cancel dinner tonight. My bosses in Germany need something so we're having a teleconference. After that, I have to meet with a friend of mine who's helping me with some research."

"Can't you postpone it to tomorrow?" asked Chieko.

"Sis, this is still a business trip, you know. I promise I'll take you out tomorrow."

"OK. It's not like I have a choice."

Jin winked at Chieko then traded places with Miharu. He drove them back to Miharu's house, waved and left.

* * *

"So, what was that, huh?" asked Chieko slyly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," replied Miharu.

"Don't act all innocent, Miharu-chan. Why'd you pretend you didn't know how to drive?"

Miharu's cheeks turned pink. "Well, what did you expect? You told him I was failing driver's ed."

"Who cares? You could've shown him one of those crazy drifts."

"Yeah, right. I don't drift to show off. That's just idiotic."

"Admit it. You have a crush on my brother."

"What? No, I don't," said Miharu indignantly.

"Yeah, you do. What do you think I am, blind? You guys were flirting!"

"That was not… Wait, you think Jin was flirting with me?"

"Aha, see? You _are_ interested!" said Chieko jubilantly.

"You're exasperating. I…"

Miharu's words were cut off when her phone rang. Seeing that it was Kazuhiko, she instantly picked up.

"Hey, Miha! Still can't make it tonight?"

"Actually, my dinner plans got cancelled. Is Chase still OK with tonight?

"Yeah, he was pretty bummed when you said you couldn't race tonight. So I'll tell him it's on again?"

"Yup, see you around 9?"

"You betcha. Bye!"

"Later, Kazu."

When the call ended, Chieko asked eagerly, "You have a race?"

"Yup! Didn't I tell you about this before you nagged me about going to dinner with you and Jin? Anyway, you want to come along?"

"Sounds exciting but no thanks, not my kind of thing. Besides, what if Jin comes by and I'm not here? You go and you better win."

Miharu grinned. "I intend to."

* * *

Meanwhile, Kazuhiko's phone began buzzing shortly after his conversation with Miharu. His face broke out into a wide smile when he saw who was calling.

"Hey, Jin! I got your message. Glad you're back!"

"I'm only here for a week, Kazuhiko. I'm visiting my sister and I have some business to do as well."

"Your sister? Hmm, how old is she now? And isn't she back in France with the rest of your family, though?"

"She's 16 now. Chieko decided to go to the same boarding school I attended so she's here in New York too."

"Really? That's cool."

"So, Kazuhiko, can we meet?"

"We could if you come to the race tonight."

"Sure, man. I kind of missed watching races with you. Who are you up against this time?" inquired Jin with a laugh.

"I'm not racing tonight. I'm just the manager this time around. I'll see you at 9, OK? I'll SMS you the address."

"All right."

* * *

**A/N: **Just in case it wasn't clear to some of you, Chieko and Jin are half-French, half-Japanese, hence the mention of the family being back in France. Many thanks to Miguel again for working on this chapter with me. Thanks also to Sanae-san for beta-reading and cricketchick1990, my newest beta. Get going with your chapters, you two! I also forgot to mention a special thanks to SnoQueen. Your PM about Ryosuke really inspired me. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Can I hope to reach 70 reviews before the next chapter comes out? Just kidding! Hope you like this chapter! 


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Jin rolled to a stop at the address Kazuhiko had sent him. He looked up and down the road and noticed how eerie the place seemed. On one side, he saw a huge warehouse complex which seemed to occupy the entire block while on the other, he saw two warehouses with parking lots on each side. _I guess this must be this one_, he shrugged to himself.

_This certainly is a weird place for a race. And I don't see any other cars around. Where the heck is Kazuhiko? Maybe I should just call him up_, he thought as he dialed Kazuhiko's number on his cellphone. Suddenly, he heard something clatter and looked back to see an old man rummaging through a trash can. _I think I better wait in my car_, he decided.

"Yo, Jin! Feeling a little lost?" asked Kazuhiko with a laugh upon answering.

"You know it. I'm here at the address you gave me. Where are you?"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Come on inside. The race is just about to start."

"What, in the warehouse?" said Jin disbelievingly.

"Where else, man? I'll meet you at the door."

Sure enough, a small door near the right side opened and Kazuhiko's head peeked through with a cellphone still pressed to his ear. Jin shook his head and shut his phone. He got out of his car and jogged over to the door.

"Hey, Kazuhiko. What's going on? Where's the race?"

"Come on, let me show you."

They walked through a cramped corridor lined with scaffoldings on either side that were easily 2 storey's high, and the floor was littered with bags of cement and hollow blocks. They soon came upon a makeshift wooden door guarded by a hulking African-American man. Kazuhiko greeted the man who nodded and let them in, and that was when Jin saw what Kazuhiko meant.

Dozens of cars were lined up, all set up or tuned in some way. The warehouse had two huge main doors, one lead out to what looked to be a massive parking lot, while the other was some sort of a shipping container storage area. A substantial crowd milled about, anxiously waiting for the start of the race. The whole place was bustling with activity and Jin was amazed at it all. He saw a diverse group of Japanese, African-Americans, Latinos, and many others. Everyone was either showing off their cars or admiring them. The place was buzzing with music and people talking, enjoying the night's festivities.

"Dang, Kazuhiko. This is wild! There weren't this many cars back then. I remember going with you to some forgotten patch of road at some god forsaken desert with maybe 5 or 6 cars. It was nothing like this!"

"Yeah, I know. The street racing scene in Massachusetts was nowhere near this big. Let's go to the start line. I'm the flagman," grinned Kazuhiko.

Jin followed Kazuhiko to the start line. He realized then that the warehouse was simply where the race would start and end and that it opened up to the streets of New York. Jin figured the course would be a maze of turns and assumed that the parking lot and shipping containers would play a part, knowing Kazuhiko as much as he did.

He watched as Kazuhiko walked up to the start line between two cars. One car was a lime green Nissan S14. It had a carbon hood and was covered with decals of different aftermarket parts manufacturers. The other car was a gleaming red RX-8 which also had a carbon hood. It definitely wasn't as flashy as its opponent but it sported a full RE Amemiya body kit.

Kazuhiko raised his hand for silence and a hush settled over the crowd. The cars parked behind Jin with their blaring audio setups were immediately turned off.

"All right, guys! You know the rules. We start here and end here. All you have to do is follow the orange cones I set up and the first one back here wins. Don't worry; there are marshals at every corner so you'll know where to go. If you crash, you lose. If you hit your opponent, you lose. Nudging is OK, if you get close enough but if I see a big dent, you lose. Any questions?" hollered Kazuhiko.

The cars responded by revving their engines loudly. The crowd erupted into cheers. Jin glanced back at the RX-8 in surprise.

_It's turbo tuned. This should be a good match_, he thought.

Kazuhiko raised his hand and started the countdown. "Right then. In 3, 2, 1…GO!" he yelled.

* * *

Miharu quickly bent down to kiss her steering wheel as Kazuhiko started counting down. If she wasn't feeling so nervous, she would have laughed at her silliness. 

_Bah, who cares? It's for luck._

She put the RX-8 into gear and darted off as soon as Kazuhiko brought his hand down. The S14 performed a better launch, however, and pulled ahead by a fender's length. Miharu smiled.

_Chase is really determined to win this time. He's taking the lead when he normally lets his opponents go first. Smart move; let's see what you can do!_

She skidded her car alongside the S14 as they rounded the first corner into the parking lot. They both performed the 90-degree right turn with relative ease and exited still side by side, missing the cars parked there by mere centimeters. Miharu floored the accelerator, determined to try and pull away on the relatively long straightaway. Chase seemed to have the same idea and by the time the two reached the next corner, he was already in front of Miharu's car.

Miharu gripped her steering wheel excitedly, her heart pounding furiously. Her anxiety had passed and adrenalin pumped through her veins. She tailed Chase's S14 outrageously close, practically tapping his rear bumper. She matched his speed turn for turn and pressured him to the limit.

_You better start pulling away from me, Chase. If you can't outrun me by at least three car's length by the time we reach the pier, I'll certainly overtake you._

* * *

"The S14 is still in front but the RX-8 is insanely close. I can't believe she's able to control the car like that! They're almost at the pier so expect them shortly," a voice over the handheld radio in Kazuhiko's hand reported. 

Jin couldn't believe his ears. He had expected the S14 to win the race easily. The two of them had been listening to the marshals' comments as the race progressed. In fact, most of the people in the crowd were talking on their mobile phones, apparently getting race reports from their friends at the different checkpoints as well.

Another thing that had immensely surprised Jin was when he learned that the RX-8 driver was a girl his sister's age.

"The driver's a girl? And she's only 16? Kazuhiko, how could you let her race? She probably just got her driver's license! You know how dangerous these races can be!" Jin had admonished Kazuhiko.

His friend had only patted him on the back and had said, "Trust me, Jin. That girl is one of the best drivers I've ever seen. You don't have to worry about a thing."

To hear someone like Kazuhiko, a guy who seldom praised other drivers, speak so highly of the mysterious RX-8 driver, Jin had felt taken aback. As the race went on, Jin slowly began to believe what Kazuhiko had said and a gradual admiration seeped through him.

He soon found himself silently cheering the girl on, although he felt that she had no chance of winning. Experience still counted for a lot in street racing and at just sixteen, he sincerely doubted the RX-8 driver had enough of that but his opinion drastically changed as the marshals' reports came in.

"Hey, Andy! You're the marshal at the pier's entrance, right?" Kazuhiko asked briskly over the radio, startling Jin from his thoughts.

"Yeah, what's up?" replied Andy.

"Give me a detailed description once you see them come up. I want to know who's leading by the time they enter the pier," ordered Kazuhiko.

"You got it. I think I see them coming… Yeah, that's them. The S14's still ahead."

Jin glanced at Kazuhiko and asked, "You think something's going to happen there?"

"I think she's going to make her move there. I want to know if she can pull it off," Kazuhiko answered.

"Move? You mean she intends to pass the S14? How the heck is she going to do that?" exclaimed Jin.

"Shh, just listen. You'll know soon enough," said Kazuhiko with a wink.

"Hey, Kazuhiko, you're never going to believe this. She's pulled up right beside Chase! Holy crap, she's never going to make it at the speed she's going! The corner's too sharp and the entrance is too tight! Chase has already started braking for the turn but she's still going! Aaarrgghhhh!" shouted Andy.

"What happened, Andy?" barked Kazuhiko.

It took several seconds before Andy's dazed voice came back. "Mother of… she did it, Kazuhiko. I've never seen a drift performed so precisely before at that speed. It's insane! She passed Chase!"

Kazuhiko burst out laughing. "I thought so. Thanks, Andy. This race is over."

Kazuhiko switched off the radio and turned to face a stunned Jin.

"She passed the S14? She _drifted_ the car?" Jin repeated.

"Told you she was good," said Kazuhiko smugly.

"Wait a second, the race isn't over. Turn the radio back on!"

"It's finished, Jin. Chase is never going to be able to pass her now that she's taken the lead from him."

Sure enough, the RX-8 entered the warehouse in a drift a minute later. The tires squealed as the car spun around twice. The crowd's roar was deafening. The S14 arrived after a few moments and the RX-8 stopped spinning. A sea of people instantly surrounded them as the drivers stepped out of their respective cars.

"Come on, Jin. I'll introduce you to them," said Kazuhiko.

Jin nodded. He couldn't wait to meet her.

* * *

Miharu climbed out of the RX-8, an enormous grin on her face. She thanked everyone who congratulated her and thumped her back while making her way over to Chase. 

"Nice race, Chase," she called out over the crowd's noise.

Chase laughed and ruffled her hair playfully. "You're too good for me, Miharu. Give me a month and I'll challenge you again."

"Anytime, but I'm telling you now that I won't lose," she said, winking cockily.

Before Chase had a chance to reply, Miharu felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Kazuhiko beaming at her.

"Awesome race, Miha. I expected nothing less from the second best driver around here," he said.

"Second best my foot," retorted Miharu. "I beat your ass the last time we raced."

Kazuhiko chuckled. "That you did. Listen, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine from college."

"Sure, Kazu."

Kazuhiko twisted his head around. "Hey, Jin! Come closer, will you?"

Miharu froze. _Jin? It can't be Jin Basset, can it?_

* * *

When Kazuhiko stepped aside and Jin saw the RX-8 driver's face, he recognized her right away. 

"Miharu? You're the driver of that RX-8?" he asked in disbelief.

Kazuhiko looked back and forth between Jin's shocked face and Miharu's extremely pale one. "I take it you two know each other," he remarked.

"Kazuhiko, she's Chieko's roommate," replied Jin.

Kazuhiko opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off by Miharu's shaky voice. "Kazu, I have to go."

She rushed past Kazuhiko and Jin back to her car.

"Wait!" cried out Jin.

Miharu ignored him and hopped into the RX-8. She gunned the engine, causing several people to move back. She tore off soon after and quickly disappeared from sight.

Jin stared uncomprehendingly after the RX-8 before snapping back to reality and turning to go back to his car. Kazuhiko clapped his hand firmly on Jin's shoulder and effectively stopped any movement.

"What are you doing, Kazuhiko? Let me go, I have to talk to her!" said Jin.

"You'll never catch up to her, Jin."

"I know where she lives, dammit."

"And you really think she'll talk to you? She obviously ran to avoid doing that. Listen, I'll just tell Chase that I'm leaving him in charge of things then we can get out of here. I want to know what's going on," said Kazuhiko.

A few minutes later, Kazuhiko came back and found Jin standing where he had left him. He gave his friend a contemplative look then broke the silence by saying, "Let's grab a bite to eat. There's a hotdog stand just a few blocks from here. We can talk there."

Jin turned back to the direction Miharu had taken then sighed in defeat. "All right."

* * *

Miharu slammed the front door to her house and headed up to her room. She banged that door shut too but it was thrown open again by Chieko. 

"What's with all the noise, Miharu-chan? Did you lose the race or something?" asked Chieko.

Miharu reeled around and gave her friend an accusatory glare. "You. This is all your fault."

"What? What did I do?" demanded Chieko.

"This is why I always tell the truth! I hate being caught in a lie!" wailed Miharu.

"Just calm down and tell me what happened. What lie?"

Miharu sank onto her bed and impatiently brushed her hair away from her face. "Jin was at the race, Chieko. Turns out Kazu's the friend he was supposed to meet that's why he cancelled dinner with you. He saw me there!"

Chieko let out a squeal and giddily clapped her hands together. "Really? Oh, this is too good for words! What's so bad about that? I think it's wonderful!"

Miharu's face reddened in anger. She got up and stalked towards Chieko until she was standing practically nose-to-nose with her. She gestured wildly and burst out hysterically, "Wonderful? _Wonderful_? We _lied_ to him! I'm supposed to be failing driver's ed too, remember? How am I supposed to explain what he just saw back there? Oh, he must be so pissed off right now!"

Chieko scoffed. "You're looking at this the wrong way, Miharu-chan. Jin isn't like that."

"He looked ready to bite my head off back there, Chieko. What am I going to do?" moaned Miharu.

"He will do nothing of the sort. Just talk to him and tell him everything you told me about your whole driving thing in Japan. Trust me, Jin's a cool guy. It'll be fine, don't worry!"

Miharu adamantly shook her head. "No, I'm going to steer clear of him at all costs."

Chieko's eyes widened. "What? No! Why can't you just tell him the truth? Tell him I put you up to this."

A flash of pain crossed Miharu's features. She flopped back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. "I've never been good with confessions. They always blow up in my face."

Chieko sensed that her friend was thinking about something else entirely but decided not to push the matter. "I don't know why you would say something like that, Miharu-chan. But knowing Jin, he'll want to talk to you."

"Ugh. Why do I end up running away from all the men in my life?" Miharu mumbled as she buried her face in her hands.

"You can't avoid him forever."

Miharu's mind filled with images of Ryosuke. "Watch me."

* * *

**A/N: **I know, I know. This chapter took too long to be posted and I apologize. As I told cricketchick1990 and Sanae, my thesis deadline had me dead on my feet and utterly unable to write. Please bear with me, I might disappear again for another few weeks but just until I finish my defense. Again, many thanks to everyone who reviewed. Wouldn't you know it? I reached 70 reviews before I posted this! You guys spoil me too much, but seriously, I was just kidding when I said that. Not that I'm complaining or anything! Hope you enjoy this chapter and expect about two or three more flashback chapters and a possible second interlude before I go back to the "present". 


	22. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**

Kazuhiko smirked as he leaned against the still cooling hood of his white Supra, watching with reserved interest as his friend of six years paced agitatedly in front of him, completely ignoring the icy spray that whipped off the water of the bay and onto the coarse wood of the pier as the cold fall winds that the city was so famous for swept through the area.

"Jin, would you keep still? For god's sake," Kazuhiko complained, his voice laced with barely concealed amusement. "You're making me dizzy."

Jin glanced over at the slightly older man who had risen a few centimeters off the bodywork of his heavily tuned racer to pull out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from the back pocket of his jeans and was now proceeding to light it and take a long, heavy drag out of its length. With a troubled sigh, he stopped his pacing and moved to sit beside Kazuhiko, wrinkling his nose a little as the smell of nicotine drifted past him.

"I can't believe you still smoke those things, Kazu," he commented. "Did no one else tell you they're bad for your health?"

Kazuhiko shrugged carelessly, taking another long drag as he turned to face Jin properly. "Plenty of times, my friend. Now tell me what's bothering you."

"I'd say it's pretty obvious, Kazu."

"You mean Miharu-chan? What are you stressing about her so much for? Wait, you said something about her being your little sister's roommate?"

"Yeah, they both attend the boarding school I graduated from."

"You know, in all the years I've known you I don't think I ever once met your little sister," mused Kazuhiko.

Jin gave Kazuhiko a puzzled look. "What are you talking about? She helped me move my stuff to our dorm room in MIT. You must have seen her then."

"Wait, you mean that mousy girl with braces and all?"

"She doesn't look like that now, though. Hang on, I have a picture in my wallet," said Jin as he fished his wallet out of his pocket and handed it over to Kazuhiko. All of a sudden, Kazuhiko burst out laughing.

"Now I remember," said Kazuhiko, passing the wallet back to Jin. "She was with Miharu that one time to get some parts from me. Chase made a pass at her and she blew him off bad. I should've recognized that Basset trademark blonde hair and green eyes. She's changed a lot over the years."

Jin's eyes narrowed. "Chase made a pass at my sister?"

Kazuhiko waved off Jin's question. "Like I said, she blew him off. OK, so back to Miharu. You've only just met her, right? Why is it such a big deal she races?"

"Hang on. You said Chieko went with Miharu to get parts from you? Crap, so my sister knows about all this?"

"I'd think so. Now answer my question."

Jin had been expecting that question and, truth be told, he himself had been trying to find out why it was he was so bothered by what he had witnessed. Perhaps he was pissed because this was probably another one of his sister's Let's-Get-Jin-A-New-Girlfriend schemes. Or it could just be because he was embarrassed by the fact that he'd been teaching her how to drive this morning when in reality _she_ could be teaching _him_ a thing or two.

Or maybe it's because he was horribly attracted to Miharu and he hated to think she lied to him.

He violently shook his head, forcing that particular notion away. _Don't even try it, Jin_, he thought. He decided to go with the first reason he came up with and said aloud, "I think this is one of Chieko's stupid ploys to get me to date one of her friends."

"There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"There's plenty wrong with it! I mean, they're too…young!"

Kazuhiko cast a shrewd glance at his friend's face. "Jin, you're only 21. Besides, that sounded more like a Chieko reason rather than a Miharu one. Are you sure that's it?"

Jin groaned and gestured wildly with his hands. "I dunno, you tell me. I'm as stumped as you are. I mean, what is _up_ with her? This morning I was giving her driving lessons because I was under the impression that she and my sister were failing driver's ed. Now I find out she's one of the best drivers in New York's underground racing scene."

Kazuhiko let out a sharp bark of laughter at that. "You were teaching her how to drive? Dear god, man. This _is_ Miharu we're talking about, right?"

"Great, rub it in, why don't you," muttered Jin.

"I'm not, OK? It's actually understandable that you wouldn't know much about her since she pretty much keeps to herself."

"Well, Chieko started mentioning her to me a few weeks back but it's nothing really detailed."

"Miharu's been driving since she was 12. And not just any old driving, mind you. We're talking drift practice on Japan's mountain passes."

"Are you kidding me, Kazu? You know as well as I do that in Japan, you have to be 18 for you to even think about a driver's license. How can she be driving since she was 12? How did she even get past her parents? The police would be all over her," said Jin incredulously.

"Not if she drove at three or four in the morning. Miharu has this crazy uncle who owns a tofu shop in the Gunma area. Every morning, Miharu had to deliver a load of tofu at this hotel up one of the mountains there, I forgot which. Apparently, driving with tofu is harder than it sounds because if you make one wrong move, the tofu breaks apart and she's dead meat. And strangely enough, her mom supported her night-time driving and even let Miharu use her car," explained Kazuhiko.

"Unbelievable. Now I feel like such an idiot," grumbled Jin.

"Nah, you shouldn't feel that way. With Miharu, there's always a reasonable explanation for things. Well, not unless it really is a plot by your sister, then, that's different. Still, I can't really picture Miharu going along with something like that," Kazuhiko said thoughtfully.

"Whatever the reason, I'd like to hear it from both of them. I just don't want to think they lied to me."

"Oh, come on, man. At most, it's just a couple of young girls having some fun. Maybe you should even feel flattered. If it is a plan to get you to go out with Miharu, that means she's got a crush on you, right? You have to admit, she _is_ pretty hot."

A strangled sound escaped from Jin's throat. The possibility hadn't crossed his mind and he was suddenly thankful for the dim lights the nearby lamps provided because they hid the slight blush that came to his cheeks. Kazuhiko, misinterpreting the sound as one of horror, started laughing at his expense.

Just then, something about what Kazuhiko said sank in. Jin looked warily at his friend and asked, "You think she's hot? Wait a second, you don't have a thing for her, do you? Isn't she a bit too young for you?"

Kazuhiko's mirth came to an abrupt halt as he gaped at Jin. "What do you think I am, geriatric? I'm only 24 years old, Jin. I don't think that's too big of an age gap."

A feeling of something akin to jealousy crept slowly inside Jin. "That's eight years, Kazu. I think that's a huge gap."

Kazuhiko stared at Jin pensively and noted the vein ticking slightly near his friend's temple. He bit back another wave of laughter threatening to overcome him. "I can't believe it. You like her, don't you?"

"Don't even go there, Kazu," choked out Jin.

"Yup, you do. Anyway, you don't have to worry about a thing. Miharu and I are just friends. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate how hot she is."

"Kazuhiko!" sputtered Jin.

"I'm just saying! And I know you. I can tell that's not really the reason why you're so ticked off. Besides, you already have a girlfriend, don't you? How's Stacy doing?"

Jin's expression darkened. "Don't bring Stacy up again."

Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow, taking a final drag off his cigarette before flicking it away. "And the plot thickens. Try again, buddy. You know that's not gonna work with me."

Jin gave Kazuhiko a deep frown. Finally, he expelled his breath in defeat and ran his hand through his hair. "What is there to tell? Stacy and I broke up about a year ago. It's ancient history."

"What? A year? Jin, I know we haven't talked in a while but this is just… what happened? You guys were so in love! I thought you were going to get married and have lots of blonde haired little brats!"

"Oh, she's having some blonde haired little brats, all right. Problem is, they're not mine," replied Jin wryly.

"You mean to tell me…"

"She was cheating on me, Kazu. We were together for two years and she was cheating on me for one and a half of those years. I found out she was pregnant about a year ago and I can assure you it's not mine."

"How'd you know that without taking a paternity test?"

"Because I'm a genius," joked Jin.

"Come on, Jin," berated Kazuhiko.

"Ah, damn, Kazu. Think about it. She was only 15 when we got together. I think they call that statutory rape. And heck, I was only 17 then. Call me a prude but I wasn't about to have sex with her until we were both of legal age. I just didn't know she was doing it with every other guy out there."

"Well that's just fucked up. Why'd she go and do something like that? Everyone could see that you really loved her," said Kazuhiko angrily.

Jin had to smile at Kazuhiko's loyalty. "What makes you think it wasn't my fault, man? I loved her, yes, but I completely neglected her. I was already a college freshman when I was 17 and I was all the way in Massachusetts. She had to remain here in New York and we only ever saw each other during breaks and holidays. We talked on the phone a lot but that's about it. She needed someone who could really be there for her and I wasn't able to do that."

"Don't you go defending her to me, Jin. Whatever the circumstances were, what she did was wrong. She could have just told you straight away that a long distance relationship wouldn't work. And if she really did love you as much as you loved her, she would have made it work."

"Maybe so but I don't want to place all the blame on her. And it's not like she isn't suffering for her mistake. The last I heard was that the father didn't want to take responsibility for her pregnancy. I feel kinda sorry for her," confided Jin.

"I don't," said Kazuhiko blithely. "I'm sorry, but she had it coming."

"Hell, I'd be lying if I told you I didn't feel a bit vindicated but like I said, it's ancient history. Just forget about it."

"Now I get why you're so into this whole Miharu thing. You think she lied to you too, don't you?"

"Well, didn't she?"

"Yeah, I guess so. But look, don't hold it against her, OK? Like I said, I'm sure there's an explanation for all this."

"I'll wait to hear that."

"And Stacy, forget about her. There are plenty of other girls out there and I'm sure you'll find the right one for you someday."

"Oh, no. I've learned my lesson. I'm not falling in love like that again. More likely than not she'll end up screwing me over and I don't want to have to experience something like that ever again."

"Hey," admonished Kazuhiko, "you're still young. You'll meet someone else, one who'll love you just as much as you love her. And I want you to promise me that when you find her, you'll never let her go."

"That's too idealistic, even for you," chuckled Jin.

"What can I say? Beneath the rough exterior lies the heart of a hopeless romantic. Moving along to other things, tell me why you're here in New York. If it isn't Stacy, then what's up?"

"Actually, I came here to convince you to come back with me to Germany."

"So it's work then? What could you possibly need my help for? You're the whiz kid," said Kazuhiko with a laugh.

"Kazu, we both know that had you bothered to finish college, you'd have my job right now," pointed out Jin.

"Ah, but we also both know that isn't the kind of life I want to lead."

"That's the thing that has always puzzled me about you, man. You could be earning loads of money or working for a professional team but you chose to just leave it all behind."

Kazuhiko grinned. "What makes you think I don't earn loads of money right now? I get by just fine doing what I do. I never regretted leaving MIT when I did. My dream had always been to be out here, just driving and racing. Know what I mean?"

Jin slowly shook his head. "I think that's my problem. I _don't_ know what you mean. I don't understand the passion you have for racing."

Kazuhiko was quiet for a moment, thinking of a way to resolve Jin's dilemma. "How do you feel about tweaking engines?" he finally asked.

"I can't imagine doing anything else," was Jin's quick reply.

"There you go. See, you _do_ understand the feeling just that yours is directed towards the science behind the whole thing."

"I suppose," said Jin.

"Anyway you still haven't answered my question. What do you need me for?"

"I need your help in finishing the differential I developed for Prodrive and Subaru, Kazu. My deadline's in less than a year and if I don't complete it by that time, I might as well kiss my job goodbye."

"What exactly is it you want me to do?"

"Take a look at what I have so far and tell me what you think of it. Tell me what I'm missing. Once we get a prototype out, I'd also like for you to be the one to test it. I trust your driving and I know you're the only one who can help me with this," implored Jin.

"I don't know about that, Jin. I'm sure there are drivers in Germany who are more suited for that than I'll ever be," said Kazuhiko doubtfully.

"Bull, Kazu. I think the reason why I can't come out with anything that's half useful is because of the drivers they keep giving me. All they do is complain and won't trust what I make, which ends up with me getting into trouble. I need someone who'll trust me and my differential setup, someone who can push it to its limit and not be afraid of trying something new."

"It's not that I don't want to help you, man, but that's going to take a lot of time and work. I've already made commitments with Todoh-san to help him with his EK9 project."

Jin let out a sigh of frustration and he edgily ran a hand through his face. "Damn it. Can you suggest anyone else then? What about Miharu? You think that maybe…"

Kazuhiko hurriedly cut him off. "She won't do it, Jin."

"Why not?" persisted Jin. "You said it yourself: she's one of the best drivers you've seen, and that's no small feat coming from you."

"Well, for one thing, she's only in high school. She can't just pack up and leave everything. Have you forgotten she's your sister's roommate? She's only 16, man. And even if she could leave, I know she'd never do it. She and I are pretty similar in that we're not into all that professional shit. She loves the streets almost as much as I do."

Jin cursed under his breath. He stood up and started walking back and forth again. "What about Chase Williams, then?"

Again, Kazuhiko dissented. "He's a good enough driver, but still lacks know-how. He wouldn't be able to give you what you need. Plus, he doesn't have much mechanical knowledge and relies on Miharu and me for that."

Jin desperately racked his brain for any more drivers and listed each of them to Kazuhiko. Each time Jin came up with a name, Kazuhiko vetoed the idea, giving reasons ranging from unavailability to inexperience to just plain stupidity. Finally, Kazuhiko expelled his breath in a rush and held up his hand for Jin to cease his pacing.

"Stop it already. All right, I'll go to Germany with you," he said.

Jin sank beside Kazuhiko in relief. "Thanks, man."

"But just until the winter's over," warned Kazuhiko. "Or until you get yourself a new driver or something. After that, I'm off to Japan to work on Todoh-san's EK9."

"I'm sure we'll be finished by then," said Jin confidently.

"We better be," mumbled Kazuhiko. "Why is it that I can never refuse your requests?"

"Aww, I love you too, man," guffawed Jin, putting his arm around Kazuhiko's shoulders.

"Keep it up and I just might change my mind," growled Kazuhiko.

"Yes, sir," laughed Jin.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes, I know it took me more than a month and you can obviously tell I got really, REALLY stuck back there. But now it's finally done and I hope you enjoyed it (you'd better, I had a hard time writing it, LOL). Huge thanks go to Miguel (who took the time to actually meet up with me despite his extremely busy schedule just to discuss ideas for this chapter), cricketchick1990 (for giving me the starting sentences, bless her soul, and for throwing around some ideas as well), and to Sanae (for beta reading and ideas). I never would have finished this chapter without your help, guys. 

Thanks to those who reviewed particularly ichinanahachi, stargazer235 and s200drfiter. Thanks also to my loyal readers pnoytecknix, jpn6438, NanamiYatsumaki, j0cey, and SnoQueen. I hope I didn't forget anyone but just in case I did, know that I thank you anyway! Until the next chapter!


	23. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Initial D. The original characters are mine.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**

"He asked to talk to you again last night."

Miharu looked up from her textbook and gave Chieko a blank stare. A week had passed since the race and Jin had been stopping by their dormitory everyday after that, hoping to talk to Miharu. She, on the other hand, had spent the entire week hiding from him.

"And?" asked Miharu flatly.

"And? What the heck is that supposed to mean?" bit out Chieko, frustration evident in her voice.

"If you have something to say to me, spit it out. You're good at that," retorted Miharu blithely.

"Dammit, Miharu! You're so freaking stubborn! I just don't understand this whole 'I must avoid Jin' attitude!"

Miharu turned her attention back to her textbook and said, "In case you forgot, you're the one who got me into this whole mess in the first place."

"And I apologized! To you _and_ Jin. Look, he already knows that the whole driving school thing was my fault and that I begged you to go along with it. I already passed it off as another one of my matchmaking schemes. I even went so far as to say that I threatened you with a life of high school hell if you refused to agree to my plan."

"Then why does he even need to talk to me? You've said practically everything that needed to be said."

Chieko groaned and walked over to where Miharu was studying. She calmly grabbed the textbook from under Miharu's nose and tossed it aside. Miharu glared at Chieko and said, "Hey, that was an expensive book!"

"Do I look like I care? Come on, Miharu, just hear me out for a while, OK? Truth be told, I don't really know why Jin insists on talking to you. It's not like him. I mean, for someone he's just met, he seemed pretty affected by what happened. Considering all of those things, I could only come up with one conclusion," explained Chieko.

"And that is?"

"I think he likes you, Miharu-chan."

Miharu couldn't help but laugh. "You're off your rocker, Chieko-chan."

"I'm serious. I've never seen him act like this with any girl, especially a girl he hardly knows. I think he means to set things right because he wants to get to know you better and not have anything that might happen between you two end prematurely."

"Who are you, Dr. Phil? You know, I think you've been analyzing this for way too long," said Miharu nervously.

Chieko stared shrewdly at Miharu, sensing her trepidation. Miharu continued to fidget under her friend's gaze.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Miharu asked defensively.

"Does the way you're acting have something to do with that boy I asked you about when we first started talking to each other?" accused Chieko.

"I don't know what you're talking about," lied Miharu, averting her eyes from Chieko's.

"Is he the guy you kept calling everyday when you first got here?" insisted Chieko.

"No, that was Kei-chan," replied Miharu with exasperation.

"Wait, isn't Kei-chan a girl?"

Miharu folded her arms across her chest and looked back at Chieko. "You're never going to let this go, are you?"

Chieko's only response was to grab another chair, settling herself comfortably beside her friend. Miharu sighed and said, "I think it's happening again."

"What is?"

"Let me start from the very beginning. I was only a year old when my family moved here to New York because of my parents' work."

"Hence, the house," deduced Chieko.

"Right. We lived here for six years then we moved back to Japan when I was seven. My parents were best friends with our next door neighbors, the Takahashis, and almost as soon as we got back, we were invited to have dinner at their house. That was the first time I met Kei-chan and Ryosuke, the Takahashis' sons."

Miharu stood up and walked to her closet, retrieving her purse. She fished around until she found her wallet, which she handed over to Chieko. Chieko mutely opened the wallet and admired the picture of Miharu with two very handsome boys.

"The one with the yellow hair, Keisuke, or Kei-chan, as I like to call him, is the same age we are. We became best friends as soon as I stepped into their home. Ryosuke, the one with the blue-black hair, is older by two years and, well, he's a different story. I think it was love at first sight," said Miharu with a faraway look on her face.

"This was when you were seven?" inquired Chieko incredulously.

Miharu chuckled. "Hard to believe, right? I've liked him for as long as I can remember; all throughout grade school and junior high. But I never said anything to him. Only Kei-chan and my cousin Taku-chan knew about it. Both of them kept nagging me to just say something, even going so far as to convincing me that Ryosuke liked me too."

"Did he?" asked Chieko quietly.

"When freshman year started, Ryosuke and I found out we had something in common: an interest in cars. We started talking a lot then, getting to know each other better. Of course you can imagine how ecstatic I was. I mean, I'd been crushing on the guy for years and suddenly we were close friends. At the same time, though, a restlessness within me grew. I found I wasn't content with being just a friend to him so one day I decided to tell him how I felt."

Miharu gently reached out for her wallet and Chieko handed it back wordlessly. Miharu smiled sadly as she glanced at Ryosuke's face. "I was so sure, so convinced, that he would accept my feelings. I was clinging to the hope that Kei-chan had read his brother right when he said Ryosuke liked me too. So I walked up to his room and just blurted it out. And since I'm here right now and not there with him, you can obviously tell it didn't work out the way I thought it would."

"So you came here to hide from him?"

Miharu exhaled noisily. "I guess you can put it that way. I couldn't bear to face him, Chieko-chan. And as much as I love Kei-chan, seeing him reminded me of Ryosuke too. Still, I miss him so much sometimes that I call him a lot."

"But Miharu-chan," said Chieko, "I don't understand what any of this has to do with Jin."

"Well, it's practically the same, isn't it? Jin is terribly good-looking, Chieko-chan. I'd have to be blind not to be attracted to him. Plus, I can tell he's a really nice guy who looks out for his sister. He's a genius to boot. And then here comes you trying to set me up with him and telling me you think he likes me and all that."

"Oh, Miharu-chan, it's not going to end up like that," said Chieko.

"How do you know that? Kei-chan was so certain about Ryosuke's feelings and yet here I am. I know you mean well but I'm not going through all of that again. I'm still trying to get over Kei-chan's brother and I don't want to involve myself with another friend's brother."

"So what, you're just going to avoid everyone you begin to have feelings for? That's lame, Miharu-chan."

"I just…I can't deal with it right now. I'm not ready. I wouldn't know what to do," said Miharu helplessly.

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to face them."

"I'd rather later than sooner. Never, even," mumbled Miharu.

"I still think you're wrong but I respect your feelings and because of that I'm going to tell you now that Jin's planning to stop by again tonight. He's going back to Germany tomorrow afternoon, you know."

"Thanks, Chieko-chan. I'll be going to my house this afternoon anyway since it's Friday. I have to prep for the race tomorrow. God knows I need to drive."

* * *

"I can't believe how good that girl is at hiding," muttered Jin as he slammed his suitcase shut. 

Kazuhiko, who had been browsing the hotel's room service menu, looked up at Jin. "By 'her', you mean Miharu, right?"

"Who else?" growled Jin.

"I told you, man," said Kazuhiko. "She keeps to herself. If she doesn't want to talk to you, she won't."

"But why not?" insisted Jin. "I'm sure that by now she already knows that Chieko's explained everything to me. She has nothing to hide from."

"Ever considered that maybe it's not about you anymore? I know Miharu, man. She has a reason for everything. And that girl is hyper emotional. Could be she's still embarrassed or something."

"I just don't want to leave with this hanging over my head," mumbled Jin.

Kazuhiko stared at Jin who was currently attempting to stuff a bunch of folders in an already full backpack with mounting aggravation. "Why do you want to talk to her so badly anyway?" he asked casually.

"I… don't… know," grunted Jin, each word punctuated by a firm shove of the folders.

Kazuhiko carefully considered his friend's profile. That Jin didn't know the reason why he was so anxious to speak to Miharu was a lie and they both knew it. Kazuhiko had already sensed Jin's attraction to Miharu days ago, after that fated race. What he didn't know was how hard Jin was fighting against it and, boy, was his buddy fighting hard.

Jin was the type of person who was very seldom, if at all, unsure of himself and Kazuhiko figured it probably had something to do with being a genius. Jin always knew what he wanted and he went after it with all the brilliance he had. Some might even say Jin was a bit of a control freak, planning everything out in advance, including his relationships. Maybe it was because of what happened with Stacy, Jin's ex-girlfriend, Kazuhiko was uncertain, but he could tell that Jin had no idea over how to deal with Miharu.

Kazuhiko decided that he should do something before the whole thing drove him nuts. He sighed and pulled out his cellphone from his pocket, thankful that he had Miharu's number on speed dial.

"What are you doing?" asked Jin.

"Calling Miharu, obviously. I'm getting frustrated myself watching you like this. Besides, I need to talk to her too anyway."

"I doubt she'll pick up, seeing as she…"

"Hey, Miharu-chan," interrupted Kazuhiko with a triumphant grin on his face.

Jin promptly dropped the folders he was holding and hurriedly sat beside Kazuhiko.

Miharu's voice floated over the phone. "Hi, Kazu. Perfect timing. Listen, I need a set of spark plugs, a new oil filter and 5 liters of oil. I swear, my car just eats these things up like mints."

"Sure, I'll have them ready for you within the hour. You know what, why don't I just drop them over your place? I need to talk to you about something," said Kazuhiko.

"What about?" asked Miharu warily.

"Oh, I just wanted to discuss some things before I leave."

"Leave? I thought you weren't going to Japan for a few more months?"

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. So, I'll be over in a few, all right?"

"OK, sure," said Miharu. "I'll be in the garage. See you then."

Kazuhiko snapped his phone closed and smirked at Jin who was gaping at him in disbelief. "And yes, it's that easy."

* * *

Kazuhiko pulled his Supra to a stop in front of Miharu's garage. Miharu was standing with her back to them and bent over her RX-8. Jin wondered why she hadn't turned around to acknowledge their arrival when he saw the huge stereo headphones covering her ears and the IPod peeking through the back pocket of her denim shorts. When his gaze started travelling lower, admiring her legs from behind, Jin mentally smacked himself. 

"That girl can drive a man to distraction," murmured Jin.

"Say what?" asked Kazuhiko.

Jin jumped in surprise at the sound of his friend's voice. He'd completely forgotten Kazuhiko was there! _Pull yourself together, Jin_, he thought. Out loud, he hastily replied, "It's nothing."

Kazuhiko gave Jin a weird look and then shrugged. "Well, come on then. And don't forget to bring the stuff she asked for."

Jin nodded, grabbed the plastic bag settled beside his feet, and hopped out of the car. Kazuhiko had gone ahead of him and was already standing behind Miharu, tapping her shoulder gently. Miharu, startled by the contact, dropped the wrench she was holding and let out a little shriek.

"Jeepers, Kazu! You scared the hell out of me!" said Miharu in a shaky voice.

"Sorry, Miharu. I didn't know how else to get your attention," Kazuhiko countered with a laugh.

Miharu removed the headphones from her ears and draped it around her shoulders. She turned around and that's when she noticed Jin standing a few feet away from them, watching her silently. Her face flushed then turned ghostly pale.

Kazuhiko, feeling that this was the time to make a quick exit, hurriedly said, "Oh, yeah, I was with Jin earlier when I called you and he said he needed to talk to you too so I thought I'd bring him along. I'll just head over inside and make myself some snacks while you two chat, OK? I'll talk to you later."

Miharu didn't appear to have heard a word he had said. She was still rooted to her spot, staring wide-eyed at Jin. Kazuhiko shot Jin a questioning glance and was given an answering nod before he hastily went inside the house.

Jin walked over to where Miharu was standing and awkwardly thrust the plastic bag he was holding. "Here. It's the stuff you ordered from Kazuhiko."

"Thanks," said Miharu softly, taking the bag from Jin and setting it down on the floor.

"So you do your own tuning too, huh?" asked Jin with a tentative smile.

"Yeah. I did most of the work myself but I consult with Kazu sometimes. I still have some things I don't know."

"Your driving is amazing though. I heard you defeated Kazuhiko the last time you raced."

"Oh, that was definitely the best race I've had so far," enthused Miharu, forgetting just who it was she was talking to. "It was so close and I really thought I'd lose for sure. See, we were using the leader-chaser rule and… Wait a second. You're not mad?"

Jin shrugged and gave Miharu a small grin. "I thought I was but Chieko explained everything to me. And it's not really that big of a deal, is it? I guess I was just caught off guard, that's all."

"Listen, I'm really sorry about everything. It's just that when Chieko put me on the spot back there I…"

"Hey, you don't have to explain," interrupted Jin with a laugh. "I know how my sister can get."

"Still, I'm sorry. For avoiding you and all that. I didn't know how to face you. God, I feel so silly now," said Miharu sheepishly.

"It's OK. I understand completely. Look, I just want to make sure that everything's good between us."

Miharu cocked her head to the side, a puzzled expression on her face. Jin's breath caught in his throat. _Dammit, she looks so pretty!_

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Jin. Why are you so concerned about, well, me? We hardly know each other."

Jin shuffled his feet and looked at the ground, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. "Before I found out it was you in that RX-8, I already admired you. I thought you were awesome, being 16 and driving with that much skill. I couldn't wait to meet you. I was just a bit surprised, and I have to admit, embarrassed, when I saw that it was you. But now that we've cleared that up, I'd still like the chance to get to know you. As friends."

"Ugh, you really know how to make a girl feel bad, don't you."

"Huh?" uttered Jin, completely confused.

"I mean, here I was, bent on avoiding you for the rest of my life and then it turns out you're this totally nice guy. And then, as if that wasn't enough, you go and flatter me and offer me your friendship. So, therefore, being the jerk I was, I have no choice but to make amends by accepting your offer." Miharu grinned and held out her hand. "Friends?"

Jin clasped Miharu's outstretched hand with his own. "Absolutely," he said, grinning right back.

Miharu's heart raced. _I don't think I'll ever get used to how good-looking this guy is. Oh, what have I gotten myself into? _To mask her thoughts, she angled her head towards the door and said, "What do you say we check if Kazu's destroyed my kitchen yet?"

With a laugh, the two headed inside.

* * *

"So you're leaving with Jin, huh. And then you're going to Japan straight after?" 

Kazuhiko nodded. "Yeah. I promised Todoh-san I'd be there after the winter's over so I agreed to work with Jin until then."

"You're leaving Chase in charge of things here?" asked Miharu.

"And you. I'll be back by mid-summer, hopefully."

"Dammit, Kazu. Who will I go to for tuning advice now?" said Miharu jokingly.

"I'm sure you'll manage," replied Kazuhiko with a smile. "Hey, you wanted me to look up some people for you in Japan, right?"

"Yes, if you please. Kei-chan's stopped calling lately so I have no word. I'm getting worried."

"Kei-chan, huh? Anyway, I'm just a phone call away so as soon as I arrive in Japan, I'll let you know, OK? And don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Kazu. You take care now, you hear?"

Kazuhiko just winked and then walked over to his car where Jin was already waiting. Miharu waved to them as they drove away.

* * *

**A/N:** And, after almost 4 months, I've finally been able to come out with this chapter. I've been so busy lately (and also so stuck ) that I haven't had the energy to write this at all. But, graduation's over so I can now concentrate on writing (at least until I get a job, ugh). 

Also, my beta readers seem to have disappeared on me. Sanae's nowhere to be found (hun, if you're reading this, E-MAIL ME), my friend Miguel's been off the grid since he left the country (you dork, how dare you not call me…and you call yourself my best friend ), and cricketchick1990's REALLY busy with some stuff right now (which I totally understand). This, of course, has left me with a dilemma for this particular chapter, as it is mostly un-beta'd. Therefore, any corrections with spelling and grammar will be totally appreciated.

Lastly, I'd like to thank those who reviewed my last chapter: pnoytecknix, jpn6438, NanamiYatsumaki, imoutosan, a1dee, SnoQueen, and unknown player. Hope I haven't lost you guys since it's been a while. Until the next chapter (which hopefully won't take as long as this one did, I've already got it partly written)!


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